MARK THOMAS: SHOWTIME FROM THE FRONTLINE | COMEDY REVIEW
****
Sherman Theatre, Cardiff, Wed 21 Feb
Mark Thomas has long been one of Britain’s most consistently daring, provocative and imaginative comedians, though to call him just that is selling him a bit short. He’s a writer, documentarian and an activist, an honest, self-reflective voice, staunchly critical and suspicious of any authority. His latest work Showtime From The Frontline is quite possibly his most ambitious yet – here he tells the tale of Jenin Freedom Theatre, a theatre company in a refugee camp in Jenin in Palestine, as well as his setting up a comedy workshop there which developed into a comedy night.
Though Mark Thomas’ previous shows, including ones such as The Red Shed which used audiences as impromptu actors, have been primarily one-man affairs, here he brings along two co-conspirators; Faisal Alhayjaa and AlaaShehada, two of the participants from the comedy workshop. Primarily driven by narration from Mark Thomas, the trio act out the trials and tribulations of attempting to set up a comedy night in a Palestinian refugee camp. Turns out, it’s not easy, with political tensions, an ongoing hunger strike, conservatism from the Palestinian authorities, and many other roadblocks, metaphorically and literal, in the way.
Ultimately, what emerges here is a brave and powerful two hour set that encompasses a wide variety of themes: freedom of speech, expression and movement, of life lived under military occupation, and the enduring creative impulses of those who live under military occupation. Faisal and Alaa are endearing and likeable performers, both displaying excellent standup skills of their own whilst skilfully lampooning and mimicking their former classmates.
While the laughs are plentiful and full, it’s the writing here which really brings everything together. The trio never let us lose sight of the daily realities of life in Jenin, nor of the bleakly humorous absurdities of it. A recurring subplot revolves around an ongoing hunger strike in Palestine in support of political prisoners, with the idea of a laugh-filled comedy night occurring in the middle of such an event causing consternation amongst the more sour-faced Palestinian authorities. Elsewhere, Mark talks of his sweet-talking tactics with Israeli guards (dressing like a perma-drunk American tourist at Tel Aviv airport is apparently an easy way to get in). Then there’s the sheer difficulty of even making a show like this happen in the UK, where the rules and vagaries of our immigration system seems to be solely built out of unpublished Kafka stories discarded for being too obtuse. All of this is mined for laughs but also for pathos.
One particular highlight involves the screening of footage from the actual comedy night in Jenin, where we finally see the fellow comedians that Faisal and Alaa have been lampooning all night. For a bunch of first-time performers, they are remarkably funny, each with their own unique style and attitude.
What emerges at the other end is a standup show that feels alive and vital in a way that few others do. Showtime From The Frontline is a impassioned, unashamedly political and grimly funny piece of work that expresses exactly what it is about our human condition that makes us dare to laugh in the grimmest of times. Superb stuff.
words FEDOR TOT
