It’s in Your Nature to Destroy Yourselves is a well-put together and strikingly political comedy set which has the audience captivated and laughing throughout.
Nish Kumar confronts racism with his hilarious sketches about airport security and ‘random checks’. He lays into the audience about racism, causing a slight discomfort around the room that is brilliantly effective, showing the seriousness of racist issues through his frustration and frantic movements. His attack on the plagues of our society didn’t end with racists, as he continued on to tackle sexism, homophobia and transphobia alongside Brexit, of course.
Kumar shows obvious irritation at the issues he addresses in his show. He acts out the scenarios he is describing, giving the audience a hilarious insight into his life and the situations he has found himself in. His frantic nature emphasises his frustration more and gives the show a quirky and inviting tone, perfectly keeping the balance between seriousness and hilarity.
The highlight of the set is Kumar’s criticism of religion. There are many loopholes surrounding religion and to see them confronted in comedy by a religious person themselves is very refreshing. Kumar shows us the good parts of religion, and talks about how we often ignore the bad parts in a hilarious manner – comparing Hinduism to Islam, finding hilarity in the assumption of many that he is Muslim and not Hindu. The sketch is funny, but much like the rest of his set continually comes back round to the political narrative, adding a new dimension of brilliance.
The show is brilliantly inclusive with every audience member having something to relate to and leave talking about. Kumar’s show brings out the very worst of society in the very best way. His comedy is continually politically charged and helps us to understand how we should be talking about such pertinent issues.
Nish Kumar: It’s in Your Nature to Destroy Yourselves was on at Assembly George Aikman Theatre
Run ended
Image: Rich Hardcastle