Julia Burgisser
With her opening line “Who thinks it’s about time to cull the human race?”, British comedian Sameena Zehra, shows us she’s a woman with a plan. Several plans in fact, but none so hilarious as her plan to fix what’s wrong with the world in general, with a quick quiz and a cull.
She’s in New Zealand for the first time but she’s easily talking our language, though perhaps much faster than the average Kiwi. Her passion for her subject makes her a joy to watch, and her intelligent commentary on the world around her has us hanging on every fast-paced word she says. Eventually we are agreeing with everything she says too. In fact, part way through the show, I’m finding her arguments for the human race cull more and more valid.
As a self-confessed “Homicidial Pacifist”, Zehra explains how she is losing the battle to stay neutral when there are so many things that make her angry in the world, not the least of putting spoons in the fork section. No idiots, including politicians, are safe from her angry yet hilarious tirade. Somehow she even brings humour in an educational way to the subject of the way muslims are treated by idiots, and also manages to disarm us on the triggering topic of terrorism. In fact she tackles the hard topics with ease, wit and charm. Even if she is losing the moral high ground in her mind.
There is much to agree with and so much to laugh about. I would call Homicidial Pacifist the wittiest, most intelligent, comedy I’ve seen in the whole Wellington Fringe Festival 2016. It was comedy that made you laugh and made you think, and that was worth the ticket price alone (the stories about her husband were just a huge added bonus). If you see one show this year, see this show!
As a self-confessed “Homicidial Pacifist”, Zehra explains how she is losing the battle to stay neutral when there are so many things that make her angry in the world, not the least of putting spoons in the fork section. No idiots, including politicians, are safe from her angry yet hilarious tirade. Somehow she even brings humour in an educational way to the subject of the way muslims are treated by idiots, and also manages to disarm us on the triggering topic of terrorism. In fact she tackles the hard topics with ease, wit and charm. Even if she is losing the moral high ground in her mind.
There is much to agree with and so much to laugh about. I would call Homicidial Pacifist the wittiest, most intelligent, comedy I’ve seen in the whole Wellington Fringe Festival 2016. It was comedy that made you laugh and made you think, and that was worth the ticket price alone (the stories about her husband were just a huge added bonus). If you see one show this year, see this show!