Omar Badawy: Guided Detour review – dizzying tales of decision paralysis

Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh The comic’s unique tale of assimilation and romance-related limbo has a high joke rate and emotional intelligence I want to tell Omar Badawy to take a breath.

This debut moves at a frantic, almost dizzying pace, so much so that you could easily miss a few details in a show that zooms in and out of the time he was accidentally caught in the middle of a Tommy Robinson march while en route to a fancy dress party.

But with writing this sharp, does it matter? You can see why SNL: UK came calling.

The Cambridge-raised Badawy lays out his identity conundrum: he’s an Anglo-Egyptian Muslim who, as a pupil at a Christian school, was teased for his background.

Differences surfaced during Nativity plays, where his culturally accurate interpretations of innkeepers and wise men’s assistants weren’t quite what his teachers had in mind.

He also knows his well-spoken accent makes it easier to assimilate.

Because of all this, Badawy often feels stuck in the middle.

Once, a stranger even asked his ethnicity because he wanted to call him his “correct racial slur”.

At Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh , until 30 August All our Edinburgh festival reviews Continue reading...