Don't be fooled by the title of Hasan Al-Habib’s debut hour, Death To The West (Midlands). He’s very much an outwardly proud Brummie.
And it’s arguably a timely moment for a show about Birmingham, too. Weeks after Ozzy Osbourne’s emotional farewell to the city, B-town is enjoying a cultural moment. All of which follows Joe Lycett’s loud championing of the city. Did Lycett succeed in creating civic pride in Birmingham? And if so, what’s next? Is John Oliver going to return to touring comedy with a beautifully nuanced performance based around love for his place of birth?
Truth be told, Birmingham isn’t the aspect of Hasan Al-Habib’s identity that features most substantially here. The self-described ‘amusing Arab’ was born in the UK, to Middle Eastern parents. Well, his Iraqi father is comprehensively discussed, anyway. There’s very little about his mother. Holding that back for the sequel, perhaps.
No need to be nervous, comedy fan: his father is still alive and they have a good relationship. Much humour here concerns how Al-Habib Sr fits the stereotype of financially tight Arabs. That's the only joke concept that maybe gets overused, although there are fantastic highlights. Take, for example, the thoroughly enjoyable reason why he came to have strong respect for Jewish people.
And that’s just one highlight among many. He opens by displaying fine comic skill when detailing the circumstances under which he’d happily accept prejudice. A joke about this year’s Glastonbury proves itself as a nimble recent addition. There’s a great throwaway line about the typical geographical makeup of Fringe audiences, too.
In a show that almost feels too tightly-honed, Al-Habib still provides evidence that he can whip up laughter when circumstances require him to be funny off-the-cuff.
‘This is the story of why I love stand-up comedy,’ Al-Habib says at the start. As the well-honed rug-pulls decrease in frequency, they’re replaced with what gives the show its heart – his reasoning for loving this artform. Judiciously, these elements don’t end up feeling overplayed. All-in-all, an accomplished debut.
