by Luisa De la Concha Montes

Mustafa Algiyadi’s stand-up comedy show is a breath of fresh air. He knows better than to try to convince his audience that the stereotypes they hold about Arabs are wrong. So instead, he does the unexpected, turning the show around, making his listeners the victims of his jokes.

He starts the show by getting to know each audience member. This works perfectly in the cosy environment of The Snug, a tiny room at the back of the Three Jolly Butchers pub. He asks us where we are from and whether we own powerful passports or not, high fiving those who are from “fucked up countries”.

His narrative style is conversational. We could easily be in the living room of a very funny friend, hearing about his latest shenanigans. It is also intimate; he peppers the show with direct questions, making us protagonists or targets throughout the run. His show is also full of surprises. We go from hearing about his latest business idea, to being led through a guided meditation with a horny twist.

Through hilarious storytelling, he explores his experiences in Libya and Germany, opening our eyes to the social challenges he experiences as a migrant Arab. But instead of feeding us with the expected victim narrative, he exposes the nuances of cultural differences. After all, he is right in asking why Italians are allowed to make jokes about Germans, but Germans are not allowed to make jokes about Arabs. Isn’t that reproducing the same hierarchies of othering?

After touring Germany, it is evident that this well-rehearsed show, by reflection of the audience’s
constant laughter, is quite effective. What is more, Algiyadi’s involvement with the audience is so good that it would be tempting to see it again just to experience how he adapts each joke to a new set of people.

A Little Killing Hurts No One ran through 4 June.

The Play’s the Thing UK is committed to covering fringe and progressive theatre in London and beyond. It is run entirely voluntarily and needs regular support to ensure its survival. For more information and to help The Play’s the Thing UK provide coverage of the theatre that needs reviews the most, visit its patreon.