Q&A: EDINBURGH 2024: Mustafa Algiyadi on ALMOST LEGAL ALIEN

BWW caught up with Mustafa Algiyadi on bringing Almost Legal Alien to the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

How did you first get involved in the world of comedy?

I've always been in search of a hobby that involves performing and being on stage. I've had a dream of doing something like a late-night show, inspired by my fascination with The Colbert Report. Playing a character in front of an audience with an entertaining point of view was always at the back of my mind.

My journey began when I saw an improv show in Munich for the first time. They took my story and performed a long-form scene based on it, which I didn't believe was even possible. After watching a few more shows, I started doing improv in Munich. The first time I performed on stage doing improv was an incredible experience. I loved it so much that I knew I wanted to do it more.

My comedic impulses on stage led a friend of mine, who was also involved in improv, to encourage me to try stand-up comedy. So, I went to an open mic for the first time, feeling very scared but excited and had a lot of fun. From that moment on, I never looked back and 6 years later, here we are.

What made you want to share the story of Almost Legal Alien?

The short answer is that I wanted to debut an hour at the Fringe. The longer is that the show came to life as a culmination of my stand-up comedy work over the past six years. As I reviewed my different bits, I noticed a common theme that emerged. Many of my gags related to my experiences as an Arab living in Europe and moving out from Libya to Germany/Europe.

I realised I wanted to reflect on these experiences and speak about the cultural differences. As I put everything together, I saw that there was a coherent story forming, one that people seemed to relate to and connect with.

What was the creative process like for Almost Legal Alien?

It involved looking at my different bits and realising I finally had enough material to perform in front of an audience for over an hour. I started by clustering and collecting bits that shared similar themes. I then formed these clusters into sets and performed them to test the structure and flow.

Once I had cohesive clusters, I thought about the overall story arc and thread of the show. In doing so, I had to add a few connecting storylines to ensure everything flowed smoothly.

To refine the show, I performed numerous work-in-progress shows and am currently in the process of performing different previews prior to the Fringe. A long but fun iterative process.

What is the wildest cultural difference you’ve found?

The list of cultural differences I've observed is quite long, but one that really stands out is the etiquette around having guests over. In the Arab world, and specifically in Libya, the approach to hosting guests is very different from Europe. It took me a long time to get accustomed to it.

In Europe, there's a more casual and, I would say, healthier attitude towards having guests over. People are relaxed and it's a collaborative, enjoyable experience for the guests and the host. In contrast, in Libya, hosting a guest is a major event. You stop your life for god knows how many days beforehand to prepare, ensuring that you're offering them an exceptional experience. Guests don't need to move a muscle to get anything. The host is usually on the lookout the whole time, trying to find ways to make it more comfortable for guests, whether it is about offering more drinks, food, pillows or changing music. You'd need some time to recover from inviting someone over. 

You’re a co-founder of the first weekly and longest-running English Stand-Up Comedy Club in Munich. What is it like performing in Germany versus somewhere like Edinburgh?

Very, very different! One major aspect is the audience: in the UK, the audience is more diverse and traversing different layers of society, whereas in Germany it attracts expats who are usually well educated and moved for a skilled job. They are usually doing similar things: tech, academia and the like. After a while doing crowd work with the expats gets quite repetitive, unfortunately. Personally, I like the UK experience as I enjoy the uncertainty with crowd work, as you don't quite know what to expect.

What do you hope audiences take away from Almost Legal Alien?

I want them to have a good laugh and gain a bit more insight into Libya and my experiences as an Arab living in Europe. In Europe, one often hears from people with diverse backgrounds who were born here, sharing their cultural heritage through their stories. However, one doesn't hear as much from those who have recently moved here and grew up elsewhere. I want to share those unique perspectives and experiences from my relatively recent move from Libya to Europe. Ultimately, even though we might seem miles apart, we're much closer than we think, and laughter and humour can connect us.

How would you describe Almost Legal Alien in one word?

Fabulous.

Almost Legal Alien runs from 1 to 25 August (no performance on 12 August) at Just the Tonic Nucleus - Just the Sub-Atomic Room at the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

 

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