Monkey Barrel @ The Tron
Until August 24 (not 12th) – 17:50
Hard-hitting, and side-splitting, comedy is what you want at the Edinburgh Fringe, and Sikisa goes above and beyond the call of duty. A feisty and out-spoken comedian from South London; by day Sikisa is an immigration lawyer, but by night, Jekyll and Hyde-like, she turns into some cutting-edge monster of hilarity.
Sikisa knows the circuit well, and has smashed it out the park on many a famous stage, such as “Live at the Apollo” and the “Johnathan Ross Comedy Club” – she has even gigged upon the glorious fields of Glastonbury. Out of all that performance material, Sikisa has brought her one hour show. “Serving Justice”. to the Monkey Barrel at this year’s Fringe.
So, the show itself. As a vault-like room in Edinburgh’s cellar-belly began to fill up, my senses were knocked sideways with the sound of heavy metal and hip-hop music, combining together to build a pre-gig atmosphere unlike any other I have witnessed at a comedy gig. Genius move.
Like a good shot of first-of-the-morning instant coffee, within seconds of Sikisa stepping out to perform, laughter instantly erupted throughout the room, and bellowed out a chorus of continuous approval. You can clearly see why she is so highly lauded – possessing, as she does, a most priceless gift – the ability to make us laugh. If Sikisa was a currency, she would surely be gold…
Eyeing up her soon-to-be-interactive audience, she hunts down her unsuspecting prey with vigour, but only to nurture them with love. Comedy needs the right material; what is now, what is present, and for Sikisa there is not much better a raw material than that found in life’s ups and downs.
When your audience is on the laughter train from minute one to minute sixty, you know, as a performer, you’ve totally nailed it, and Sikisa did just that. Her show, “Serving Justice”, is a a rollercoaster ride of jury citations, airport security, WWE wrestling, spiders living rent-free, immigration, colour, sex and air fryers – and so much more. Fresh, exciting, and with a storytelling ability that enthrals at every turn, “Serving Justice” is not just a comedy gig, but also a warm, direct and honest education.
Raymond Speedie
themumble.uk 