Review – Sameena Zehra: Tea With Terrorists

Sameena Zehra is quite a storyteller, which is most convenient as she has quite the story to tell. How she ended up having tea with terrorists is a tale that must be heard to be believed.

It all began when Sameena moved from London to Kashmir as a young girl, and she found herself living in a land where terrorism is just another part of daily life. Applying the same blasé shruggery to her anecdotes about kidnappings as she does to jokes about silly road signs, Sameena describes her terrorist neighbours as nervously bumbling kids rather than cunning masterminds. The various ways her wonderfully crude grandmother foils their schemes are almost something out of a cartoon.

Sameena might spin a great yarn, but unfortunately has it in her head that as a comedy show she must jam in one-liners wherever she can. Which is to the show’s detriment, as they usually miss the mark.

It also wasn’t helpful that heaving waves of music from a neighbouring show repeatedly cut into the warm, personable atmosphere Sameena was trying to create, but to her credit she worked with the uninvited soundscapes and incorporated them into the act.

Equal parts evocative and amusing, Tea With Terrorists is one of the more unique comedy shows going around this year, and with a little editing would be one of the best offerings around as well.