‘A man at his golden age’
If you listen to a stand-up comedian blindfolded and the person on stage begins a sentence with “The thing is, right; the thing is, right” in a very English accent and at a very fast pace, there is a high chance that the person on stage is Ahir Shah.
Golden is his follow-up to Ends, a hit that was made into a Netflix special. Some of the elements from Ends continue here, as he opens the show with the things his grandmother prepared to be carried with her after her death, alongside the caste system in Hindu society, politics and family. At the same time, he is trying something new: growing up, or, in Bob Dylan’s words, becoming. As a 35-year-old adult, Shah has plenty to deal with, from switching bank accounts to buying a new house, from a fire to a condition that could make him lose control over his own body and speak in a language that his Irish wife cannot understand.
As usual, Shah creates many segues in his show, talking about another TV show he liked as a child or how famous he has become among NHS workers. Yet every segue that initially feels unrelated eventually leads to a similar experience: the difficulty of navigating adult life. Less angry than the politically charged Ends, Golden is more of a self-exploration of what it means to be an adult. From time to time, with its sincere monologues and the questions Shah asks about adulthood, Golden feels less like a stand-up comedy show and more like a poet speaking to his audience. He sometimes quotes ideas about the political system in elaborate language and grand concepts, but his electrifying energy remains. Even though it is less intense than Ends, Golden is an earnest show that wins many hearts, with an astonishing ending and a strong message.
LISTINGS INFORMATION
Venue: Pleasance Courtyard – Pleasance One
Dates: 5th–30th August
Time: 19:30
Ticket prices: £21.50 / concessions £20.50
Fringe box office: 0131 226 0000 / www.edfringe.com
Age suitability: 14+ (Guideline)