By Aggie Torrance — February 5, 2012 | ONLINE ONLY

Venue: Grand Opera House
Run: 19th January 2012
Rating: ***

I remember Omid Djalili’s first performance on the BBC’s “Live at the Apollo”, and I remember really liking him. Never lacking in energy, Djalili used topical humour, a wavering accent and intermittent belly dancing to set people rolling in the aisles. Things certainly started well for him.

Not much has changed and that is precisely the problem. He’s the same high-energy performer, who still brings out the moves and continues to play with his range of accents, but it’s all the same material. In the process of telling a humourous anecdote, he explicitly recycles his past routines, such as his Royal Variety performance. Admittedly, it’s more honest than trying to pass it off as original, but it reduces the novelty of this new tour.

A giant iPhone was projected onto a screen at the back of the stage and throughout the performance PowerPoint images would slip into his routine. I know we’re all religiously addicted to our mobile phone devices, whichever item of fruit they may resemble, but Djalili’s set led me to question why his comedy is so similarly dependent. Technology-reliant comedy has become prominent recently; popular examples include Russell Howard’s “Good News”. “Tour of Duty” is reminiscent though not as frustrating as the “Mock the Week” star passing off YouTube videos as his own sense of humour.

Djalili’s Iranian background has featured heavily in his comedy for years, and does so in this tour too, and it has been the source of much criticism but I’m not so condemning. I would argue that almost every comedian has a specific topic that they
tend to focus upon; Jo Brand has her husband, Simon Amstell has his loneliness but this concentration doesn’t stop me from laughing. It often leads to a more consistent and enjoyable routine.

What was strange, however, was the determined defence of recent aspects of his career, whether that’s his performance in Lionel Bart’s “Oliver!” or his appearance in recent insurance advertisements. This is a comedian very aware of criticism, and seemingly its not all water off a duck’s back. Why else would lengthy moments of contemplation fill the Opera House? Whilst at his most vulnerable, this hushed silence was crudely broken off by cheap one-liners, that I was held awkwardly in anticipation of.

The audience, however, were buzzing at the Grand Opera House and greatly enjoyed his encore. For me, nevertheless, familiarity with this comedian’s work and style was my evening’s downfall. I would never go as far as to say that’s he’s not a good comedian; that’d be wrong. On this circuit, he’s only just got started, but I want to see his skill, such as his comic timing, his lovable nature, and his enthusiasm directed towards a pen and paper.