Show: Arabized
Performer: Mina Liccione
Venue: C Arts C Digital
Date and Time: Vimeo, available until 31 August
Running time: 70 minutes
Ticket Price: Pay What You Can
Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Reviewed by: Olivia Bastin
I would describe Mina Liccione’s stand-up set as energetic, entertaining and bold. I loved the opening clip of her in the Dubai desert, walking confidently towards the camera. This was visually striking and impactful.
Mina Liccione’s stand-up is themed around the cultural differences she encountered moving to Dubai as an Italian-American New Yorker. She does this through physical performance, some Broadway-style songs and witty one-liners. Although I’ve never been to either country, the content of her show was relatable, funny and lived-in. I think her set would suit families, expats or anyone wanting to hear a bit about Dubai and the UAE.
Mina didn’t waste any time in using Arabic words and expressions as she first began to tell the audience what it felt like returning to New York after having been in the UAE for many years. This added a richness to her comedy due to her expressive mannerisms. I particularly giggled at the line about putting “the hoe in home”.
Mina continued to talk about ordinary, everyday moments in Dubai, turned humorous through her comedic timing and strong storytelling skills. Some of my favourites were when she fawned over a baby in the mall and was then instructed to say “mashallah” by her husband. This means bless! I also enjoyed when she mentioned how bathrooms in the UAE were different from their American counterparts. “Haman to haram” really stuck with me. So did her line “whiter than Martha Stewart”. Such punchy one-liners were sprinkled throughout her set.
As her stand-up progressed, the audience learned more about her Italian-American ancestry. She did an excellent interpretation of the Macarena song set to different types of pasta, which her Emirati in-laws didn’t seem to fully embrace the meaning of. We also discovered more about her life in Dubai, such as her family. I thought this added a grounded and more personal touch to her set.
Some of her set included anecdotes about sharmuts (Lebanese guys) and gender reactions in the UAE. I liked how she left the stage to directly interact with an audience member who was Lebanese. The way she sang “sharmut” was also very funny! I loved when she talked about Love Is Blind Habibi, as I watched this with a friend. Hearing her take on dating in Dubai was very humorous.
Mina successfully portrayed Dubai in an exciting and interesting way. I really got a sense of the different people who called it home. I liked how she mentioned different groups of friends, showcasing a multicultural mosaic. Her jokes felt very in line with a Dubai crowd, and she consistently got a lot of laughs throughout her performance.
Adding in elements of song, physical theatre and movement made her performance feel bold and magnetic. The transitions between these felt natural and organic. I was most impressed by how she flipped from such a confident command of Arabic to her New York accent. This highlighted her ability to straddle both worlds whilst seeing the humour in each.
She is a dynamic performer who knows her craft well, has a powerful stage presence and has a lot of interesting things to say about living in Dubai. I would recommend it.
