Jihad:
The Musical
Silk Circle Productions
C @ 22:25, Aug 1-27, (1hr 15mins), £8.50 (£7.50), £9.50 (£8.50), £10.50 (£9.50)
****
At the Fringe, titles can be viciously important. And with a title like this, they’re really asking for it! I’m not entirely sure what it may turn out to be… but if it does rear its ugly head, they haven’t many excuses to call upon. Normally I’d suggest that there’s no harm in winding a few people up, but on this occasion I’ll just stick to a sharp yet gleeful intake of breath.

Due to the subject matter, I’m going to struggle to avoid sickly phrases like ‘the current climate’, ‘the tension’ and ‘post 9/11’, but this show doesn’t shy away from such troublesome phraseology so neither shall I… although I apologise in advance!

This is an absolute gem of a show. A tidy selection of bold characters interweave through slick snappy scenes knocking out an array of catchy showstoppers. Cleverly written with wry lyrics and a bouncy score, it keeps you entranced through 75 witty minutes. Being pacey and concise it left me begging for more, and it can certainly cope with being fleshed out into two acts if it… dare I say… takes up a stint in the west end. I loved it frankly, it brought chucklesome tears to my eyes and I yearn to give it a second viewing.

Jihad: The Musical tells the story of a kindly dumbass from Jalalabad who, coaxed to ‘the west’ by a veiled temptress, becomes embroiled in a sleeper cell as he is unwittingly prepared to martyr himself in the fight against the axis of freedom. Meanwhile the self absorbed and salacious Foxy from Fox News seeks to abuse the current climate (arrgh!) to her own career progressing news agenda. It tumbles through so many of the issues we are forced to deal with in this post 9/11 society (oopsy!) that it leaves you gasping for breath. In satire terms, there is no tip-toeing around here – it is the veritable bull in a china shop.

Essentially the characters are as two dimensional as the inch thick cartoony props they wield, but this does not proclaim to be an in-depth study of the tension (there I go again!) no matter how pointed and insightful its text may be.

There are so many wonderful songs and set pieces; hilarious highlights include ‘I Want To Be Like Osama’ featuring a high-kicking chorus line dressed in pink sparkly burqas, a delightful ditty that I presume is called ‘Undetermined Significant Landmark’ and the enticingly cheeky ‘Jihad Jive’. They had me screeching, wheezing and guffawing with laughter whilst shaking my head in disbelief. I urge you to see this, so you can taunt those that didn’t.

by Ian Phillips

The National Student's
2007 Edinburgh Festival Fringe
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