Reviews

Some years ago, at FringeWorld, an obviously nervous local GP made a stand-up comedy debut in the back room of The Moon Cafe. Since then, Dr Ahmed Kazmi has gone from strength to strength, playing increasingly larger venues with highly successful and award-winning cabaret style shows including Cabaret Consultations and Dr Ahmed Gets Hitched (an absolutely gorgeous show which plays again in this FringeWorld season).

Big Job Productions is associated with the Isabella Rose Stage company. Principal, Isabella Briffa, is a young woman of vision and passion who has moved into the largely dormant void of Amateur Musical Theatre which is Hobart. Mostly working with young people, this is the first adult production she has brought to the Tasmanian public.

It’s difficult to be a young person in America living under a Republican President. The usual repositories of trust - parents, authorities and institutions - are corrupt. There is no hope for the future beyond mindless hedonism and no choice other than to live at home. Such is the situation for Warren, Dennis and Jessica – privileged, upper West Side Jewish kids in the 1980s. It is odd to contemplate that the trio of Warren, Dennis and Jessica may well be the parents of today’s current crop of Twenty-somethings.

Being queer and Muslim can make for a painful clash of identities.  In Australia this century some good exploratory reports, media and community and arts projects have shown pathways through such Islamic condemnation. 

British dancer Sadiq Ali draws on his own story and others he explored from gay Muslims, including slides into addiction, to make The Chosen Haram, currently at the Sydney Festival. “Haram” is anything forbidden by Islam. Even if it’s yourself!