Maria Shehata: Wisdomless

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Staging an Edinburgh Fringe show is just about the most expensive career decision an aspiring comedian can take, so the mood must have been tense in Maria Shehata’s household recently. Her other half probably approved of this show’s title, at least.

Wisdomless is largely about the Egyptian/American comic’s bold transatlantic upheaval, to head over and live with a British boyfriend who is pretty much her polar opposite. “He’s very uptight,” Shehata admits, while she haphazardly piles up credit card debt buying modern essentials such as overpriced wine and unlimited yoga. Neither of these wildly differing personalities actually come out of the story particularly well, but hearing Shehata relate it makes for a thoroughly engaging 55 minutes.

Previously resident in Los Angeles, she has a fresh bunch of experiences to share, from her Egyptian family background—the arranged marriages, the dancing, the nuns—to life as an Arabic woman in LA. That era involved Shehata regularly confusing Hispanic people while living with a wildly dangerous landlady in a community largely consisting of hippies and dreamers. It may not have bolstered her finances but probably helped the comedy, as her style is upliftingly relaxed, unfazed by enthusiastic audience members chipping in, but not offputtingly California-smooth.

This is presumably an evolving story too, depending on how big and generous those audiences are proving to be in this ultra competitive slot. Those finances do sound fairly precarious, and her relationship could well depend on it, apparently. Which is a good angle for the end-of-show bucket speech, if nothing else.