Comedian Ismael Loutfi’s father tried to convert the state of Florida to Islam. He did not succeed. This hilarious solo show examines those efforts, and the impact they had on Ismael’s family. Heavenly Baba is a show that needs to be seen to be believed, a hilarious and touching exploration of what it means to express oneself honestly and authentically, and how not to lose yourself in said expression. Ismael is a comedian, writer and actor, currently writing on the upcoming animated show Mating Season, from the team behind Big Mouth.
Would you mind giving us a brief insight into what your show/event/performance is?
“Heavenly Baba” is an hour-long comedic solo show about me and my father, “baba.” The show tells the story of my dad turning his car into a moving billboard for Islam in post-9/11 Florida. There are a lot of jokes in it, as I’m coming from stand-up, but Heavenly Baba has turned into something much larger; there’s 71 tech queues, music stings, videos, and some improvised map-drawing
Tell us about the creative team and the process involved?
The team is really just me and my director, Greg Walloch (“Homecoming King,” “Solo”). I created the show by doing an hour of stand-up with a few sections dedicated to talking about my dad and his car. After about two years, I managed to remove as much stand-up as possible and replaced it with just the story I want to tell. Now, the show is about 80% story, 20% stand-up
How does it feel coming to the Fringe?
Honestly, I’m excited to leave for a month just to get out of America. It’s hell over here. But also, my favourite thing in the world is performing, so having an opportunity to do my show every single night is a dream. I’m also terrified.
With shows from all over the world at the Fringe, what sets yours apart?
The story I’m telling is one that no one has ever heard before. A Syrian immigrant doctor comes to America, loses his medical license, and becomes an Islamic Evangelical all the while his son gets married at 17 and becomes a comedian. Come on. That’s special. It’s unapologetically Muslim while also uniquely American— two things I know the UK loves
Is there anything specific you’re hoping the audience will take away?
The show will have you laughing at my dad a lot. But my hope is that people will walk away from it with a love for the guy. On a deeper level, I want people to question whether they have the courage to stand by their convictions the way my father did.
Your Ideal audience is in attendance, who’s watching? Or more importantly – who isn’t…?
Right now, Islamophobia is almost as overt as it was after 9/11, so I’d hope that people who are even a little curious about Islam’s existence in the West would come out. Atheists, Muslims, Anglicans (that’s you guys, right?) will all thoroughly enjoy Heavenly Baba, albeit for completely different reasons. The only person I don’t want to watch it is Bill Maher, who doesn’t deserve to enjoy anything.
It’s an intense month, so where you’re able, how do you plan to relax, and are there any other shows you intend to see or want to recommend?
The (American) Football pre-season is starting in August, so my first order of business when I land is going to be to find a pub that plays American sports. I need to watch my boys get concussions. It’s how I relax. Also, I’m going to the Fringe with my friend and former co-worker Laurie Magers, who has a super funny show called “Do You Accept These Charges.” I’m sure we’re going to be leaning on each other for moral support over the course of the month.
In your ideal world, how can we improve the Fringe, performance, and the industry?
My friend Laurie booked my accommodations and helped me through the process of finding a publicist and sort of explained the insanity of Fringe to me back in January. So in an ideal world, everyone who wants to do the festival should be assigned their very own Laurie. Get on i
Ismael Loutfi: Heavenly Baba at Venue 17: Assembly George Square Gardens – Studio Five
Runs: July 30th – August 24th
Photo credit: Mandee Johnston
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