Film: Tickling Giants

For yesterday, I booked a guided walk through Islington - Between the Wars - with London for a Tenner or Less. Funzing, so I could cancel, provided I did it in time - and then I decided I'd rather go to a film. Top of the list were a couple of documentaries, and the one I was more interested in was Tickling Giants, about a comedian and chat show host, Baseem Youssef, from Cairo, who was always sticking two fingers up to the authorities, and getting in trouble for it. (I've been particularly interested in Egypt since I visited, back in 2000.) It was showing, yesterday only, in the Curzon Bloomsbury (which used to be the Renoir) - walking distance from me, nice! (especially considering how much trouble it always was to get to, before). Seeing that it was starting to fill up, I booked, and cancelled Funzing. Again - I have a litany of cancelled Funzing events, these days!

Beautiful day, yesterday - really felt like the start of spring. Ironically, it would have been a lovely day for a walk - but honestly, I was exhausted, and glad not to have to get up early, or exert myself overly. Instead, I made myself sleep in, ate brunch and dinner together, finished my book, napped, started another, rather excellent book, and after having all day to get there, was still rushing for the evening's showing! So I found myself dashing through elegant Georgian terraces and leafy squares, and arrived at the shopping centre in which the cinema is located at just around film time.

Google Maps did one of its silly things now, directing me straight through shops that were closed, it being a Sunday evening. Happily, I had been there before, and was familiar with roughly where the cinema is located. So, down to the basement - have they changed the layout slightly since I was last here? And down to the dochouse, at the back. Careful - although there's a dochouse sign in front of you, that's not where it is - I went through that door, to find myself on a back stairway, leading into darkness both up and down. Ah - no. So I backtracked, and found the screen up some steps to the side.

Oddly, for a performance that the website told me was selling out, there was hardly anyone there..! Took my seat - a comfy pullman - and watched some trailers. The row behind me was completely taken up by a row of people, most of whom were speaking Arabic - I guessed they were Egyptian, and sure enough, during the film, one exclaimed to their American companion that "Hey, that's our friend!" on screen.

Well now, I never before heard of Baseem Youssef, but apparently he was known as the Arabic Jon Stewart! And you know, I really took to the guy. Dashing good looks, with startling blue eyes (shared with his brother, whom we see in one scene), we see him at the start of the film at work as a surgeon. As he says, he started doing satirical pieces on YouTube, then got offered a tv show - the choice was obvious, and he broke his parents' hearts by giving up medicine to become a comedian.

Man, he's funny! With a nice line in satire (a sign in the office stated "Sarcasm: because beating the shit out of people is illegal"), as he says, he's doing what he used to do as a surgeon - cutting to the heart of the matter. We see him out in the streets with the protestors during the Arab Spring, we see some very funny pieces to camera where he lampoons the authorities. He and Jon Stewart appeared on each others' shows.

And side-by-side with the jokes, we get a potted history of what has become known as the Arab winter - as it unfolded in Egypt. As I say, I was there - and I feel so sad to see what's happened there, and is still happening. The dictator, Mubarak, was deposed and the first free elections were held - only for them to get another dictator, Morsi. The military staged a coup, and they now have a third, military dictator - Sisi.

And Baseem Youssef was there for all of it, bravely sticking two fingers to them. But his problems really started with the coup. Mubarak and Morsi weren't popular, and when he made fun of them, he caught the popular mood. However, the military takeover was a popular move, and people started to turn away from criticism of Sisi. In a movement we've seen all too often of late, the people conveniently blinded themselves to the real truth, decided that the version of the truth peddled by government and media was the one they'd follow, and shouted down anyone who disagreed.

Baseem found his show cancelled on one channel, so he moved to another - individual episodes were cancelled because of criticism of one politician or another, his signal was blocked, and finally he was given an ultimatum - behave! Rather than compromise the show, he cancelled it entirely. And when he was hit by a lawsuit - by one of his former employers, saying he'd breached his contract by presenting material they couldn't air - and faced with the largest amount ever awarded in an Egyptian lawsuit - which he couldn't pay: facing possible jail time, he took his family and fled to the States.

It's sad, you know - here was a truly gifted comedian and satirist, whose voice was drowned out by the voice of the mob. God help Egypt, and those imprisoned there - the father of one of his employees was imprisoned for eight months without charge, in an attempt to scare Baseem. Indeed, an Irish citizen has also been imprisoned there without trial, for going on four years now. Ibrahim Halawa was imprisoned with his sisters, for being in the wrong place at the wrong time - they were visiting Cairo when a protest erupted around them. His sisters were released, but not Ibrahim - now he's on hunger strike, and there are fears for the young man's life.

Tonight, I'm back with the Crick Crack Club - at Soho Theatre this time, for an evening of Greek mythology entitled Atalanta, brought to us by the able Ben Haggerty. You know, now that I'm a Westminster resident, I have a Westminster card, which - among other things - entitles me to £1 off at this theatre! Pity I didn't yet have it when I booked this..

Tomorrow, Let's Do London - for less! is back at the Opera House, for Madama Butterfly. I'm in the slips, as usual. Was telling this to one of my colleagues - he's seen it, apparently, and was very impressed. And we must have a chat, with the Man in the Hat..

Wednesday - why, it must be summer! Welcome back, London Literary Walks - good to see you. We're on The Composers' Walk - apparently a repeat. And yay, we're meeting in Caffe Nero - I can have a chocolate Milano.

On Thursday, I'm with the World Music Meetup, for a free concert of Iranian music at the Brunei Gallery. It's been a while for me, with both group and venue.. Then it's back to Ireland for the weekend again, and a meeting with my birth and adoptive mothers on the 8th. That's assuming we can agree on a venue - we had decided on Greene's, but there's no parking, my mother can't walk any distance, and while she had agreed to take a taxi, she's now gone and changed her mind. I've asked whether the venue can be changed - no word yet; it's more awkward, as we're still communicating through a social worker.

On the 10th, I'm back at the Wanamaker Playhouse - always a favourite - for The White Devil, a Jacobean tale.

On the 11th, I got a cheap ticket to the Caine and Kane comedy show, in Brixton.

On the 12th, I'm with LDAM to see Don Juan in Soho, with David Tennant, in Wyndham's. Just down Charing Cross Road - nice!

Then I'm back to Ireland for Easter - on Good Friday, my (adoptive) mother and I are off to La Bohème, at the University Concert Hall.

On the 18th, back in London, and back with Funzing - London Speaks Sessions, LDN Talks @ Night, and London for a Tenner or Less, for a talk on the Science of Paranormal Activity. Unless I get a better offer, in time - it'd have to be a good one, I'm interested in this!

On the 19th, London Literary Walks is off down Brick Lane - and so am I.

On the 20th, I have my usual placeholder of free comedy in Hammersmith - courtesy of Free Comedy Nights in Hammersmith Wimbledon and Greenwich, and London Live Comedy. Of course - much like Funzing - I usually end up cancelling these, when something better comes up.

Ditto the 21st - or I may go to the cinema that day. As usual, watch this space..!

On the 22nd, I'm off to see the Naked House Cleaner! Venue to be revealed just the day before.. ooh!

On the 23rd, I'm on a walk of Hampstead Village Highlights, with Walks, Talks and Treasure Hunts. Be good exercise, leading up to my own sponsored walk in September, in aid of Cats Protection.. Helen and I are going as Dick Whittington and his cat. She's the cat.

The 24th, another summery treat! The Man with the Hat is taking both London for Less Than a Tenner and Let's Do London - for less! to the Globe (ah, it's been too long..). For one night only, the Comedy Store Players will regale us with Shakespeare-inspired improv. As usual, London for Less than a Tenner standing in the yard, Let's Do London - for less! in lower gallery seats. Which is where I go - couldn't take standing for that long.

The 25th, London European Club again - it'll have been a while! They're off to an informal evening of classical music, in Peckham.

The 26th, London Literary Walks is doing the Sloane Ranger.

The 27th, Helen and I are on an Underground treasure hunt, courtesy of Walk, Talks and Treasure Hunts. TFL goodies to be won, it seems.. Then back to Ireland for the bank holiday weekend - which I'd forgotten was a bank holiday, or I'd have stayed over an extra day!

Instead, for 1 May, I've booked The Ferryman, with LDAM, at the Royal Court.

And 2 May, those same three Funzing groups have advertised a talk called Origin of Vampires: Fact or Fiction?