Show’s Trigger Warnings: Discussion of Suicide and Scenes of Violence
A little over nine months ago, Chelsea Hart made a TikTok that went viral, which in doing so cast them as an unexpected revolutionist and an outspoken voice against the repressive regime of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IGRC) in Iran. Irrevocably moved by the death of Mahsa Amini and the onset of the on-going Iranian revolutionary action, Hart found themselves a vocal amplifier of Iranian voices, as well as a well-informed activist, who used their platform to inform and educate western audiences. In their first full length Fringe production, Hart tells this story, as part of a capable stand-up routine.
Opening with a strong introductory segment about life in a small (small) town in Alaska, Hart establishes an engaging and confident stage presence. From the rural excitement surrounding the opening of a local Walmart, to Hart’s early career as a street opera performer touring Europe, they bounce between a wide range of topics with a host of witty one-liners. Never shying away from intense, and slightly mesmeric eye-contact, Hart establishes a friendly rapport with the audience that gives an intimate comfort to the evening show.
As Hart reveals more about their activist experiences in a world of polarising politics, where anger outweighs compassion, it is to the importance of community that the show returns to most often. With the show’s title taken in part from the Persian ‘Damet Garm’ – which translates to ‘I want your breath to be warm’ – Hart exults in the loving generosity they have experienced in Iranian culture and people. From the fiercely dark humour that led to Kotlet Day (google it!) to the language structure that luxuriates in the vastness of family collections, Hart celebrates a culture often neglected by the dominance of western narratives.
At times, the hour-long stand-up show does feel incohesive, with some topics being shot through at such a pace that it’s hard to cling to their meaning in relation to the broader show. It’s a lot to unpack, and occasionally, it’s difficult to keep track of the focus of discussion.
That said, the final section is earnest and meaningful, dressed down from the more obvious gag humour it links together several themes, in an expressive cry for unity. Calling for empowered empathy, Hart sets forth a vision of change rooted not in the anger towards injustices, but in the love and engagement of the communities bound by these challenges. Hart describes the show as their proudest comedy work, and this pride comes across with a sure-footed activist urgency, that screams to the audience to be more than just an audience, whilst also giving space for lots to laugh about.
Chelsea Hart is performing at Gilded Balloon Teviot – Sportsmans at 7:40pm from 12 till 27 August (not 14). Tickets are available here: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/chelsea-hart-damet-garm-how-i-joined-a-revolution.
Image courtesy of Pouya Ramzi, provided to The Student as press material.
