1 Last Dance With My Father

• Brian Donaldson
• 23 August 2016

This article is from 2016.

An eloquent and amusing tale of a brutal upbringing

Njambi McGrath certainly has a deeply personal story to offload in this highly intimate room. If she had spent the whole hour sitting on a chair and crying, you wouldn't be surprised, but instead she eloquently and amusingly tells the story of a very harsh Kenyan upbringing at the hands of her brutal father (a small man who believed himself to have a touch of the Idi Amins about him). You'd be hard-pushed to consider his actions even in the bracket of so-called 'tough love'.

Having finally escaped his clutches to pursue a career in comedy over here, she was forced to face those demons at her brother's wedding and McGrath's recollections of a less than satisfying reunion will have you on the edge of your seat.

Wondering whether honesty might not really be the best policy, this family tale is mixed with a withering slaying of Oxfam for its longstanding view on Africa, a gentle poke at Eddie Izzard for his multi-marathon running business as well as predictable assaults on Trump and a less signposted attack on Malala during which she states 'that bitch is fair game'. It's an admirably leftfield swipe at an untouchable public figure with a jaw-dropping reaction which suggests McGrath has been reading up on the work of Jerry Sadowitz.

Laughing Horse @ Espionage, until 27 Aug, 2.30pm, free.