Despite calling his current show No Agenda, Omid Djalili has two big agendas. The Anglo-Iranian may not be addressing global terrorism, as in previous outings, but he is tackling multiculturalism and also trying to reposition himself as a populist comic. The resulting routine is a jolly yet indecisive stand-up muddle.
Like many portly men, Djalili is impressively dainty, shimmying onstage like a featherweight boxer as he rattles off stories of growing up in Kensington in the Seventies, "caught between Ayatollah Khomeini and Dickie Davies".
Maybe the contradictory sides to his formative years explain the two uneven aspects of this set. On the one hand there are ethnically inclined anecdotes - how Iranians excel at slapping bald people on the head - on the other there are gags about megalomaniacal 4x4-driving mums.
His most insightful moments are the rare post-9/11 observations Djalili is determined to drop. When he confesses that he gets as nervous as his white fans when he sees Arabs in airports, a strident note of comic authenticity rings out. More typical is his clowning Iranian disco dancing - undeniably entertaining, but ultimately soulless.
Also 7-9 October and 14-16 October. Information: 0207 388 8822.
Omid Djalili: No Agenda
Read More
MORE ABOUT