If you're heading to Electric Picnic, keep an eye out for Baba Brinkman and MC Dizraeli in the Leviathan Tent. Here we review their show in Edinburgh, and offer some other recomendations...
The Rebel Cell - MC Dizraeli and Baba Brinkman / Pleasance Dome / 17.40
The difficulty for any performance or narrative set in a satirical dystopian future is where to strike the balance. Make it too horrific and people will snort 'that will never happen'. Make it too like the status quo, and the audience will retort 'what's so bad about that?' The Rebel Cell is set in 2013 when Scotland is a thriving independent nation, but England has become a 1984 style police state. More centrally, the two rappers - MC Dizraeli and Baba Brinkman have gone their seperate ways. From their gig in Glastonbury earlier this year, Dizraeli is a radical rebel advocating nakedness and extremism to combat the status quo, while Brinkman has become a war correspondent, who notes the commodification of dissent and rebellion. Both rappers display sensational lyrical dexterity, backed up by serious philosophical differences of opinion. At their core is a classic Martin Luther King vs. Malcolm X / John Hume vs. Gerry Adams / Professor Charles Xavier vs. Magneto debate about the merits of constructive opposition or all out revolution. Any time the lyrics get too idealistic, the other rapper steps in to knock them down.
As social commentary, there are two small problems in what is otherwise a verbal tour-de-force. Firstly, the dystopia is slightly charicatured and unbelievable. Secondly, there is a heavy focus on the two rappers' shared past, which somewhat obscures the wider political satire. But this is still a sensationally accomplished and powerfully thought-provoking piece. 4/5
Ismo Leikola - Rogue State Finland / Underbelly / 22.30
For a man speaking his second language, Ismo Leikola is uncannily incisive, charismatic and entertaining. Somehow he turns the language barrier to his advantage, hesitating - searching for the right word - before hitting his audience between the eyes with an unusually sharp observation. At one point he highlights the absurdity of having so many comedians in one festival that no-one can get a decent audience. His mock shambolic style is pulled off with charm and off-beat timing. Opening material about Finland and its neighbours gives way to more universal subjects. Throughout it all, Ismo's honesty and gentle common-sense perspective shine through. A truly winning performance. 4/5
Wanderlust / Underbelly / 23.30
This is an absolutely gorgeous show which sucks its audience right in from the beginning and brings them on a wonderful adventure. Audience participation can be a turn-off for some people - conjuring up images of stand-ups picking on the front row, or pretentious thespians "shattering the fourth wall" for the sake of postmodernism. There is none of that here. Instead the audience are coaxed - seduced even - into becoming part of a beautiful piece of theatre. In the space of an hour every single receives, and provides, a back massage; is offered sweets and vodka; and gets into a snowball fight - although not necessarily in that order. The aesthetic is Slavic-gypsy-circus-cabaret, the plot is deliberately over-the-top and somewhat irrelevant, and there is artistic, inventive and often beautifully low-tech use of mixed media. However, it is the unique experience of each audience member that makes this an absolute must see. My only complaint is that I left wanting more beautiful theatre, but by 1am the only shows available were late-night boozy comedy showcases. 5/5
Nick Doody - Tour of Doody / Pleasance Courtyard / 19.30
Nick Doody is taking on radical Islam. Like many comics, Doody is fed up with being told that it's easy to slag off Christianity, but he wouldn't dare criticise Muslims. This criticism completely misses the glaringly obvious fact that Jesus is a more viable comedy target than Mohammed for the simple reason that Western audiences know Christ's story intimately, but could not name Mohammed's parents or list the significant events in his life. Unlike the vast majority of stand-ups, who will name-check a topical story, or discuss it for a few minutes before closing with a surreal non-sequiter, Doody has the patience and intelligence to really delve into his subject. He pays particular attention to the infamous incident of the teddy-bear named 'Mohammed' in Sudan, which caused international offence. Surely, Doody speculates, if the teacher in question had wanted to insult Islam deliberately, she would have been more direct? Perhaps sporting a crotchless Burqa? Isn't it far more likely, he asks, that the students involved were being mercilously cruel to their new substitute teacher? And somehow, the whole thing ends with Doody singing a parody of 'Today's the day the teddybears have their picnic'. Clever and inventive stuff, if occasionally a bit random. 4/5
(A brief extract from one of Doody's previous performances...)
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