Writer: Daliso Chaponda
In an age where every anniversary becomes an opportunity to revisit past successes and take albums and shows back on tour, it’s not surprising that Daliso Chaponda is using turning 44 as an opportunity to revisit the first stand up show he ever did, 22 years earlier. In the half of his life since then, he’s a changed man. Not only is he now a household name in the UK thanks to Britain’s Got Talent, he’s also no longer driven by a desire to change the world through political comedy. Nowadays his main aim is just to make people laugh. His success in achieving his new ambition is equal to his failure in achieving his old one.
There is still an element of politics in his stand-up as he opens with observations on what his recent acquisition of British citizenship means to him before going on to an excellent denunciation of the far right that mocks their motives, ridicules their beliefs and questions their methods in such a succinct manner that it’s hard to believe that a lot of the material has probably been written since he arrived in Edinburgh. But this is the sign of a comedian who is forever in the role, continually touring and loving the job he’s doing and the life he’s living.
Underlying the desire to make people laugh is a clear understanding of what makes comedy work. He can contemplate how his lifestyle might dictate the manner of his death and how his choice of career and endless desire to entertain can dictate his life, but it’s never done from a maudlin standpoint and it’s always full of jokes and observations that confirm why he has become so successful in the last few years.
The references back to his early show also allow him to look at the passage of time and contrast youthful idealism and anxiety with their later years equivalent, and how phrases said at the start of a relationship can take on an entirely different meaning a few years into it. A Q and A session at the end of the show highlights his ability to ad lib and find comedy in any question that is put up for discussion.
It’s a classic set from a comedian at the top of his game.
- Runs until 11 August 2024 | Image: Contributed
