one4review | On 14, Aug 2026

Omar Badawy’s delightful debut is a guided detour through identity, belonging, and one particularly eventful journey on foot across London. An accomplished writer for Saturday Night Live UK, he brings an assured, chatty stage presence to this cleverly constructed hour, finding comedy in the absurdity of being an Egyptian Muslim accidentally caught between a far-right march and its counter-protest — while fancy-dressed in a horned Viking helmet.

Omar is usually adept at blending in, whether at his authoritarian Church school, where he failed to make the cut as one of the Three Kings but became their assistant — fortunately just putting on his homewear ensured he was by far the best costumed — or realising that football is the ideal way to confuse alpha males. There are interesting thoughts on colonialism, identity and changing Britain including the disappearance of baby Gary’s in favour of baby Mohammad’s, alongside genuine laughter at being mugged in Arabic.

A frantic visa crisis leads to a Viking helmeted dash past IKEA, before an endearing marriage proposal in a kebab shop provides a delightful ending.

****
Reviewed by HJ

Pleasance Courtyard
5-30 August (not 17)
16.35 (1 hour)