Shappi Khorsandi: The Moon on a Stick
Note: This review is from 2010
Review by Julian Hall
Having made much hay from her back story on life growing up as an Anglo-Iranian, Shappi Khorsandi explores new territory in her latest show, coming as it does in the aftermath of her recent divorce from fellow comedian Christian Reilly.Unfortunately, Khorsandi is as cursory at times as she is exploratory at others, so this show flits about with all the flighty spirit of the newly single and flirtatious woman she says she now is.
Early on she toys with immigration and though there is a decent and structured section with the book The British Citizenship Test for Dummies, elsewhere her observations are glib or rely on how much we buy in to her nature, so sweet and emotional she gets overcome by all national anthems.
As for her divorce, I don't demand a warts-and-all approach but having sold it as a dominant theme more about her marriage's rise and fall would be of interest, especially as many of her best observations come from this subject, from envying her ex-husband's iPhone, which he loved more than her, to making sure that their child takes her side of the story.
Bright as a button, it is hard not to warm to Khorsandi's engaging persona, but there are times when her savvyness falls victim to the ‘ner ner, ner ner ner’ intonation of her inner child. That said there are plenty of signs that her act has matured: more focus and curiosity might yet make for a truly stand-out show.
Review date: 21 Aug 2010
Reviewed by: Julian Hall
