You can't say Australian duo Aamer Rahman and Nazeem Hussain aren't up to the minute. Their show, Fear of a Brown Planet, starts with weeks-old news footage in which Muslims are instantly blamed for the Oslo shootings. It neatly creates a context for their double-bill show, which starts from the premise that white society is racist, and works out from there. If that sounds more like a harangue than comedy, be assured: Rahman and Hussain are every bit as funny as they are politically engaged.
The show splits into two half-hour sets: the first from the upbeat Hussain, the second from sly and laconic Rahman. The style is orthodox standup, distinguished by the quality – and to a non-"brown" audience, novelty – of the material. Hussain's cheerful manner belies the acuity of his observation, often on the guises in which racism appears. Complaints about the unpreparedness of India's Commonwealth Games? "Sorry the army of child slaves didn't clean up in time!" Claims that the British empire deserves credit for building Sri Lanka's infrastructure? Cue an ironic skit in which white slaves do the construction work and brown masters crack the whip.
There's a dip in energy when Rahman replaces Hussain, but his wry sardonicism keeps the laughs, and the insights, coming. That oft-repeated white-man's-burden line about Iraq and Afghanistan ("but how can we leave?") is matter-of-factly answered, the resurrection of an Arab Jesus is foretold – and Rahman even breathes life into that hoariest subject – being stopped by airport security. There's no angsting here about whether political equals preachy (it doesn't), and no apology for being engaged with serious concerns. There's just easy charm, subversive spirit – and a cool confidence, amply justified, that this stuff is really interesting to talk about.
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