Omid Djalili
Date Of Birth: 30/09/1965
CV |
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| Movies: 2001: Jason and The Argonauts |
| Movies: 2001: Spy Game (Doumet) |
| Movies: 2000: Gladiator (Slave Trader). Buy on video or DVD. video |
| Movies: 2000: Gladiator (Slave Trader). Buy on video or DVD. DVD |
| Movies: 1999: The World Is Not Enough (Foreman). Buy on video or DVD. video |
| Movies: 1999: The World Is Not Enough (Foreman). Buy on video or DVD. DVD |
| Movies: 1999: Mad Cows (George). Buy on video or DVD. video |
| Movies: 1999: Mad Cows (George). Buy on video or DVD. DVD |
| Movies: 1999: The Mummy (warden). Buy on video or DVD. video |
| Movies: 1999: The Mummy (warden). Buy on video or DVD. DVD |
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| TV: 2003: As Nasim in Whoopi, prime-time NBC sitcom in the States. |
| TV: 2001: Small Potatoes as Hoss alongside Tommy Tiernan Tommy Tiernan |
| TV: 2001: Bloody Foreigners, C4 documentray about asylum-seekers, which won a One World media award |
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| Stand Up: 2004: Edinburgh show: No Agenda No Agenda |
| Stand Up: 2004: Short UK tour. |
| Stand Up: 2002: Edinburgh show Behind Enemy Lines nominated for the Perrier Behind Enemy Lines |
| Stand Up: 2002: Edinburgh show Behind Enemy Lines nominated for the Perrier Perrier |
| Stand Up: 2002: Named best comic in the Ethnic Multicultural Media Awards |
| Stand Up: 2002: UK tour. |
| Stand Up: 2001: Time Out comedy award winner |
| Stand Up: 2000: Edinburgh show Warm To My Winning Smile |
| Stand Up: 1997: Edinburgh show Omid Djalili is Ethnic |
| Stand Up: 1996: Edinburgh show with Ivor Dembina, The Arab and the Jew Ivor Dembina |
| Stand Up: 1995: First Edinburgh show Short Fat Kebab Shop Owner's Son |
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Omid Djalili: Tour Of Duty |
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![]() Back on tour for the first time in three years, Omid Djalili serves up a real Middle Eastern meze of a show, offering a tantalising taste of lots of ideas and styles, some delicious, some more everyday. It means there’s something for everybody – but if you want a more substantial portion of some of the spicier or more rewarding dishes, you may still leave peckish, having had your appetite whetted, but not sated. The abiding image from the Anglo-Iranian’s career to date is probably of him belly-dancing across the stage as he drives home some cornball gag. Fans of that will be pleased to learn his old-school showmanship hasn’t deserted him on his new tour – though it’s mostly conga drums rather than shimmies this time around -– so even though he dallies with weightier issues, you’re never far from some razzle-dazzle. After the obligatory mention of those Money Supermarket ads, Djalili races though some strong gags in his most successful style, playfully undermining the Iranian stereotypes of mad mullahs and suicide bombers. When he barks out ‘death to the West’, the brutal force of the angry tone contrasts nicely with his more affable, eager-to-please side. Djalili is more Middle England than Middle Eastern and acutely aware of the comic traditions he employs, musing on the conventions that any performer with a hyphen in their ethnicity plays up a ‘battle’ between the two sides of their personality – then, of course, he does the exact-same thing. He also knows the power of a ‘comedy foreigner’ accent, with expert mimicry of Nigerian, Armenian, Irish, camp American, as well as Iranian. It is, of course, wonderfully good natured, but could almost be a 21st Century Mind Your Language, and Djalili acknowledges the ambiguous etiquette of such mockery in culturally sensitive times. But he considers it the same level of stereotyping as mocking Scousers for being petty thieves or Geordie lasses for skimpy clothes. Although he doesn’t particularly approve, he thinks it a harmless bit of ribbing that everyone (and a certain type of comic in particular) uses as a short-cut to forge common bonds, regardless of its veracity. So he employs these techniques but feels a little hypocritical about them; though it’s not always easy to convey that – especially when the funny voices get such a good laugh. More than once he calls his return to stand-up ‘traumatic’ and speaks of the confidence it requires. And there’s a sense here that Djalili – behind that bulletproof light entertainment exterior – hasn’t quite got the self-assurance to explore his ideas in an intrinsically funny way: rather he’ll put a few ideas out there, then retreat back to the brash silliness for safety. In that vein, jokes about the Arab Spring – which Djalili is almost duty-bound to cover concern themselves with trivialities, rather than anything too substantial, but they work. There are some great lines in the show, and even the more corny ones are made palatable, since Djalili sells cheese more effectively than Dairylea. Yet there is flab, too, and he sometimes leans too heavily on routines of little consequence, such as the shaggy-dog story of the Star-Trek-loving taxi drivers that turns out to be something of a theme. As well the ethnicity-based material, Djalili also has the odd anecdote about his home life – touchingly and refreshingly acknowledging that he loves his wife, in sharp contrast to the misogyny-tinged grumblings of many married male comics. Though, of course, the couple have their disagreements – over fried eggs, mainly. And at times the show slips into An Audience With… mode, as Djalili he takes us through such career highlights as The Infidel, The Mummy, playing Fagin in the West End and, erm, Sex And The City 2. This latter culminates in a nice Carrie Bradshaw-style payoff, played out on the giant smartphone which constitutes his backdrop, as well as prompting him to further ponder his own style of comedy, wondering if he doesn’t telegraph the humour too much. That’s perhaps a valid comment, but the fact that he’s a ‘big’ performer works well, on stage at least. Squaring this with the noble aim of covering more complex, intelligent material without turning off his mainstream fanbase is less easy, and not yet uniformly successful – but at least he’s giving it a go. |
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| Date of live review: Monday 31st Oct, '11 | |
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Review by Steve Bennett |
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Monday 19th Sep, '11- | |
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Wednesday 7th Sep, '11- Old Royal Naval College | |
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Show - Film - | |
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Show - Misc live shows - | |
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Show - Edinburgh Fringe 2005 - Monday 0th Aug, '06- | |
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Show - Misc live shows - | |
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BBC Monday 1st Nov, '04- | |
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Show - Misc live shows - | |
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Show - Misc live shows - | |
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Show - Edinburgh Fringe 2002 - | |
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If you needed proof of the benefits of multi-culturalism then Omid Djalili is it. I find him very funny indeed, he has satirical wit excellent timing and a well-endowed script of material. If there were enough of him to go round there would be no mistrust between ordinary Arabs and ordinary Europeans, sod the politicians they'll never learn Dom Kingsmill, August 2003 |
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I absolutely loved his act the first time i saw him, now I've seen him several times and have brought an increasing army of admirers with me... all I'm glad to say agree with my opinion. Debbie Chapman, May 2003 |
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Omid is just talent personified, a natural comedian and the best phenomenon since Billy Connolly. Ardeshir, May 2003 |
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Where can I see Omid Djalili next?
| 20:00 - Friday 10th Feb, '12 | |
| Venue: | Middlesbrough Town Hall |
| Prices: | Call for prices |
| Show: | Omid Djalili: Tour Of Duty |
| 20:00 - Saturday 11th Feb, '12 | |
| Venue: | Doncaster Dome |
| Prices: | Call for prices |
| Show: | Omid Djalili: Tour Of Duty |
| 19:30 - Sunday 12th Feb, '12 | |
| Venue: | Chatham Central Theatre |
| Prices: | Call for prices |
| Show: | Omid Djalili: Tour Of Duty |
| 20:00 - Wednesday 15th Feb, '12 | |
| Venue: | Brighton Theatre Royal |
| Prices: | Call for prices |
| Show: | Omid Djalili: Tour Of Duty |
| 20:00 - Thursday 16th Feb, '12 | |
| Venue: | Tunbridge Wells Assembly Hall |
| Prices: | Call for prices |
| Show: | Omid Djalili: Tour Of Duty |
| 20:00 - Friday 17th Feb, '12 | |
| Venue: | Derby Assembly Rooms and Guildhall |
| Prices: | Call for prices |
| Show: | Omid Djalili: Tour Of Duty |
| 19:30 - Saturday 18th Feb, '12 | |
| Venue: | Bridlington Spa Theatre and Royal Hall |
| Prices: | Call for prices |
| Show: | Omid Djalili: Tour Of Duty |
| 20:00 - Sunday 19th Feb, '12 | |
| Venue: | Guildford G Live |
| Prices: | Call for prices |
| Show: | Omid Djalili: Tour Of Duty |
| 20:00 - Monday 20th Feb, '12 | |
| Venue: | Nottingham Playhouse |
| Prices: | Call for prices |
| Show: | Omid Djalili: Tour Of Duty |
| 20:00 - Tuesday 21st Feb, '12 | |
| Venue: | Nottingham Playhouse |
| Prices: | Call for prices |
| Show: | Omid Djalili: Tour Of Duty |
| 20:00 - Wednesday 22nd Feb, '12 | |
| Venue: | Northampton Royal & Derngate |
| Prices: | Call for prices |
| Show: | Omid Djalili: Tour Of Duty |
| 20:00 - Thursday 23rd Feb, '12 | |
| Venue: | Watford Colosseum |
| Prices: | Call for prices |
| Show: | Omid Djalili: Tour Of Duty |
| 20:00 - Friday 24th Feb, '12 | |
| Venue: | Hammersmith Apollo |
| Prices: | Call for prices |
| Show: | Omid Djalili: Tour Of Duty |
| 20:00 - Saturday 25th Feb, '12 | |
| Venue: | Hammersmith Apollo |
| Prices: | Call for prices |
| Show: | Omid Djalili: Tour Of Duty |

Barking
Channel 4 sketch series from 1998
DVD (2011):
Big Fat Gypsy Gangster
DVD (2010):
The Infidel
DVD (2009):
Omid Djalili: Live In London
DVD (2009):
Omid Djalili Show Series 2
DVD (2007):
Omid Djalili: No Agenda
Live At The London Palladium
CD (2007):
Best Of Just For Laughs: 25th Anniversary Edition
Compilation CD from the Montreal comedy festival
DVD (2006):
The Secret Policeman's Ball
2006 live show
Omid Djalili at the Queen's Hall
Omid Djalili: Behind Enemy Lines Perrier nominee
Edinburgh Fringe 2005
Omid Djalili: No Agenda
Edinburgh Fringe 2008
Omid Djalili: Live 2008
Edinburgh Fringe 2011
Omid Djalili: Work in Progress
Film
Big Fat Gypsy Gangster
The Infidel
Misc live shows
A Seriously Funny Attempt To Get The SFO in The Dock
Child Benefit
Comedy HayDay
Secret Policeman's Ball 2006
Tour
Omid Djalili 2008 tour
Omid Djalili: Tour Of Duty




