Shappi Khorsandi

Source: The List (Issue 584)
Date: 23 August 2007
Written by: Claire Sawers

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UK/Iranian threatens to get edgy

Shappi Khorsandi looks Greek, sounds posh, sleeps around and is an attention-seeking nightmare. Or so she would have us believe. The saucer-eyed, shiny-haired Iranian’s best material comes when she rips herself, very charmingly, to shreds. Taking all the jibes she’s ever received – from her West London schooldays, or dopey tube passengers who think Iran is full of dancing goatherds named Fatima – she cleverly dissects British stereotypes, and delivers some fresh and funny lines. The fact that she’s about two weeks away from giving birth supplies plenty material too. When no one in the crowd confesses to chatting up a drunk lady on Princes Street last New Year’s Eve, she gives her very ripe bump an affectionate pat: ‘we’ll find your daddy soon’.

There are occasional lulls when her polite, middle class routine errs too much on the safe side, and you wish she’d drop the flirty smiles for something edgier. That aside, it’s still a warm, engaging show, and I’m not just saying that because she warned that bad reviews can harm an unborn child. (Claire Sawers)

Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, until 27 Aug, 8.10pm, £12–£13 (£10.50–£11.50).

More: Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Shappi Khorsandi, Fringe (Edinburgh Festivals), Reviews (Comedy), Stand-up (Comedy)

Last updated: 25 Jul 2008 17:14 BST