Usually I don't like musicals

Jihad The Musical (yes, no colon) is playing at the Eniburgh Fringe Festival. It's actually received good reviews:

the guilty-pleasure award goes squarely to the Jihad.

Here, the radicalisation of a clueless young Afghan gets the razzle-dazzle Broadway treatment, as in the scene in which an al-Qa'eda leader (Sorab Wadia, terrific) belts out The Jihad Jive as dolly birds in sparkling burkas slink around him.

It's all thumpingly inappropriate, in a manner that owes a hefty debt to The Producers.

But it seldom forgets the tragedy beneath the gaiety, and its wit and musical polish see it through. You can see why those who protested in advance were worried, but - shamelessly pat ending aside - it does pull off a difficult balancing act.

I'd like to try producing it here in the States. I'm sure there would be loud howls of protest and condemnation for insensitivity to (a) the victims of 9/11, (b) our troops and/or (c) Moslems. We Americans need a sense of humor.

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