Jody Kamali: This Is My Dad comedy review – Heartfelt tribute
A heartfelt tribute uncovering the eccentricities and hidden life of a much-missed father
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From the creator of Fringe hit Ironing Board Man, Jody Kamali’s show is deeply personal; as the title suggests, it’s all about memories of his late father. Kamali is half-British, half-Iranian, and when his dad died of heart failure, the comic wasn’t prepared for the insights he got into his parent’s hidden life. Kamali’s dad cut an eccentric figure, mimicked here with a large moustache and an even larger amount of padding bulging from inside his shirt. He loved to barbecue and was an avid collector of yellow sticker reductions in supermarkets. To this extent, Kamali’s father seems to be typical of his generation. But there’s more to him than that.
Kamali Sr turns out to have had various financial complications; bills are collected and filed but not paid. Yet significant investments are discovered, with people his dad helped turning up at Kamali’s door carrying unexpected gifts. Uncovering the mysteries of a secret lifestyle, Kamali offers a heartfelt tribute that could use a little more detail in the telling but still makes a poignant point about eccentricity disguising real character.
Jody Kamali: This Is My Dad, Assembly George Square, until 30 August, 2.40pm; picture: Igor Emerich.