John Achkar is in Edinburgh at Just The Spare Room at Just The Tonic at The Caves until 30 Aug, presenting his comedy stand-up in English – his third language.
His personal stories and carefully-crafted asides are genuinely funny, as well as reflections on being from Lebanon and how his comedy developed.
Achkar has a really easy manner and quiet confidence in his one-liners and tall stories. In the show I watched, an audience member with a surprising job allows an amusing ad lib.
The title of this show in full is His country is collapsing. He’s having a baby. So obviously, this is the right year for a Lebanese comedian you’ve never heard of to try English stand-up for the first time.
It gets the prize for the longest show title (surely?) while acknowledging the political situation in Lebanon obliquely. Lebanon’s conflict with Israel continues …
The baby of the title is now 3 months old, which gives rise to a tale about the ‘pregnancy bag’, brought by the dad through generations, and another crafty political dig.
I enjoyed this set which is more structured that it appears on the surface. For someone to do stand-up in a language that isn’t theirs and to not just get the laughs, but also challenge the audience to keep up, is quite a feat.
A lot of his comedy is universal: family, career (the viral joke that put him into the view of English-speakers), religion, and more. But the backstory makes it interesting and I predict this isn’t the last time we will see Achkar on these shores.
4 stars.
John Achkar is at the Edinburgh Fringe until from 30 Aug.
I reviewed from a recording supplied by John’s PR.
5 of us are coming from Newcastle on Thursday to see John. Can’t wait ❤️❤️❤️