On Monday evening, drinks in hand, the small dark upstairs room of the Big Belly Comedy Club fills quickly, waiting for Onojie Idemudia’s stand-up comedy show The Human Safari. The premise? A social commentary on how we can observe humans just as humans observe animals on a safari.
As an opening act, we meet Ro. As a young non-binary autistic medicated person on social welfare, they easily capture the audience’s attention by laughing their way through any usual discomfort surrounding these topics, putting themselves forward with touching honesty. Though pacing sometimes verges on awkward, their short set is enjoyable and funny.
Shortly afterwards, Idemudia’s entrance on stage sets the tone for his set, as, instead of introducing himself, he first presents us to his on-stage companion Gigi, a cute mini poodle sweetly tucked under his arm. From this starting point, he compares both animal and human behaviour, ranging from dogs to cephalopods and even including plants on this narrative safari.
As we learn from the show, Idemudia’s work as a wildlife scientist in his native Nigeria, followed by his recent move to the UK, has given him this animal expertise, as well as insight into the lived experience of being a Black man from Africa among white women. Throughout Idemudia’s show, the storytelling shines, engaging the audience with captivating anecdotes. These create a perfect set-up and landing for a number of jokes. Unfortunately, as with many stand-up comedians, it can be difficult to stray from heavy-handed sex jokes, which are not to everyone’s taste (though, what can one honestly expect when the theme of the show is “the birds and the bees”). In addition, the pacing sometimes stagnates, visibly straying from the planned organisation, forcing the comedian to fill the gaps with less successful one- or two-liners.
Generally, however, The Human Safari is fun and easy to watch, and it is an enjoyable complement to an evening out. Both Idemudia and Ro provide a nice element of inclusiveness and representation in the world of stand-up comedy, and one leaves the room feeling briefly entertained.
Reviewed on 20 July 2026
