by *** 1/2 (out of 5)
An English comedian of Nigerian descent, who’s married to a Pakistani woman, and father to two daughters, Nabil Abdulrashid worries about how to provide and protect for them. That’s the masculine legacy he feels has been handed down to him, combined with the mean streets of Croydon testing his abilities to live as a good man while intimidating others as a seemingly bad one. This hour of his has some great material to work with, but there’s far too many tangents. One fascinating detour, however, finds him turning against other comedians as posh appropriators of mental illness and just doing stand-up because they can afford it, and about him not wanting to mingle with them at the Fringe with their b.s shows. He’s got a grand, expressive face, and a natural ability for character act outs. And he works hard for the hour, wiping the sweat off with a towel.
At least he has a reason for the tangents. Still I think this hour could be so much better.
Ironically, perhaps, in opposition to another reviewer referenced by him, I wish I’d seen his previous show, “N.A.B.I.L. (Nobody Actually Believed I’d Last).”
Nabil Abdulrashid: The Purple Pill runs through Aug. 27 at Pleasance Courtyard Beside
