list.co.uk/festival Political offspring | FESTIVAL COMEDY
ISSUES
Returning to Malawi in November, Chaponda got Returning to Malawi in November, Chaponda got a VIP welcome. Everyone on the l ight shook his a VIP welcome. Everyone on the l ight shook his hand, a hundred people wore Daliso t-shirts and a hand, a hundred people wore Daliso t-shirts and a score of bodyguards were borrowed from his father’s score of bodyguards were borrowed from his father’s trial. ‘That was partially excitement but partially his trial. ‘That was partially excitement but partially his paranoia,’ the comic says. ‘He paranoia,’ the comic says. ‘He gets real threats: people gets real threats: people threatening a comedian threatening a comedian aren’t the same.’ aren’t the same.’
I I kept kept
thing thing Such high ofi ce Such high ofi ce would delight would delight Benet Brandreth. Benet Brandreth. ‘But suspect ‘But suspect it’s probably a it’s probably a good that good that a power-hungry power-hungry a man like myself man like myself is away is away from it. There’s from it. There’s s o m e t h i n g s o m e t h i n g unfortunate about unfortunate about the way politics is the way politics is
structured in this country. The professionalism of the structured in this c political classes ca political classes can be very limiting in terms of who it selects and who it selects and who it allows to advance. I don’t have much interest in p much interest in playing that particular game.’ Chaponda concu Chaponda concurs. After witnessing horrii c deaths in refugee camps in refugee camps while accompanying his father, stand-up redeemed stand-up redeemed him. ‘I was a very angry kid, very depressed, all ove depressed, all over the place. Finding comedy as a vent saved me. Th vent saved me. There are things I want to talk about on stage that will t on stage that will take more skill, because it’s not just emotional engage emotional engagement, it’s your ability to deal with it. I’m not quite r it. I’m not quite ready, but every year the scope of what I can talk ab what I can talk about is growing. On Britain’s Got Talent I was just o Talent I was just one version of me.’ t
Daliso Chaponda Daliso Chaponda: What the African Said, Gilded Balloon a Gilded Balloon at the Museum, 19–26 Aug, 7.30pm, £15–£1 7.30pm, £15–£16 (£13–£14). Olga Koch: Fight Olga Koch: Fight, Pleasance Courtyard, 4–26 Aug (not 14), 7.1 Aug (not 14), 7.15pm, £7–£9 (£6.50–£8). Previews 1–3 Au Previews 1–3 Aug, £6.
Benet Brandreth Benet Brandreth: A Hero for Our Times, Gilded Balloon Tevio Balloon Teviot, 4–22 Aug, 11.15am, 23–27 Aug, 4.15p Aug, 4.15pm, £9.50–£10.50 (£8.50– £9.50). Pr £9.50). Previews 1–3 Aug, £6.
Gyles B Gyles Brandreth: Break a Leg!, Pleasa Pleasance Courtyard, 4–26 Aug (not 13 (not 13), 4.30pm, £16–£19 (£14.50– £17.50 £17.50). Previews 1–3 Aug, £10.
A LITTLE BIT MORE POLITICS Here’s another set of shows that tackle (in their diverse ways) some of the issues du jour
LOLLY JONES A i nalist in Burlesque Idol (you didn’t know such a thing existed, did you?), Jones paints a satirical picture with Fifty Shades of May, in which she mercilessly lampoons political i gures including the PM, Angela Eagle, Arlene Foster and Nicola Sturgeon. Assembly Roxy, 3–24 Aug (not 13), 8.50pm, £8–£10 (£7–£9). Previews 1 & 2 Aug, £5.
MATT FORDE The true successor to Rory Bremner’s mimicry crown, Forde marks his i nal Fringe as an EU citizen (presumably) with the cunningly named Brexit Through the Gift Shop in which this stridently New Labour man takes off as many of the leading politicos as he can in a single hour. Pleasance Courtyard, 4–26 Aug, 8.30pm, £12–£14 (£10–£12). Previews 1–3 Aug, £8.
KIERAN HODGSON In his last two critically adored shows, he’s tackled disgraced cyclists and the world of classical music, and here the talented Mr Hodgson is back with a new hour which recalls the time when Britain initially joined Europe to become part of the Common Market. Pleasance Courtyard, 4–26 Aug, 8.15pm, £8–£12 (£7–£11). Previews 1–3 Aug, £6.
LUISA OMIELAN Like many people, Omielan was passionately anti-politics until an issue touched her personally. In this case, her mum’s illness and death triggered a questioning of the government’s health policies. Gilded Balloon Teviot, 3–26 Aug (not 14, 23), 9pm, £14–£15 (£12– £13). Previews 1 & 2 Aug, £9.
OLEG DENISOV With Russia never far from the news headlines (Putin, poison and Pussy Riot for three), the time is truly ripe for another comic from that land, with Doublethink acting as a vessel to analyse progaganda, democracy and the truth behind Trump’s notorious pre-presidency trip to Moscow. Just the Tonic at The Tron, 2–26 Aug (not 13), 11.40pm, £5 (£4) in advance or donation at the venue.
From left: Olga Koch, Benet Brandreth, Daliso Chaponda 1–8 Aug 2018 THE LIST FESTIVAL 55