Words: Calum Baxter
Image: Matt Stronge
4 stars
Winner of 2021 So You Think You’re Funny, finalist in the BBC New Comedy Award and writer on Saturday Night Live UK, British Egyptian comedian Omar Badawy makes his long-awaited Fringe debut this month.
13th September 2025. A date that didn’t initially register to me as holding particular significance. That date is where the narrative arch of Omar’s performance begins. On that very day Omar was making his way across London to a party dressed in a Viking costume when he inadvertently got caught up in the ‘Unite the Kingdom’ far-right march. If that wasn’t stressful enough Omar was faced with the possibility of impending marriage due to his girlfriend’s expiring visa.
Omar comes across as an affable individual with a commanding stage presence. The audience warmed to him immediately and hung on every word. As the events of the day in question unfold in this captivating hour the talented raconteur uses the march as a backdrop to delve deeper into difficult and challenging subject areas exploring aggression, tribalism and ideological certainty. These problematic subject areas are peppered with amusing anecdotes from Omar’s childhood and adolescence, which culminates in a satisfying conclusion to the story.
I look forward to seeing more from Omar Badawy in the future.
Omar Badawy: Guided Detour
Bunker One at Pleasance Courtyard
16:35
8th -30th Aug