Ivor Dembina: A barrel of laughter

In a cramped pub basement beneath the snazzy streets off Leicester Square, Ivor Dembina cuts a frail figure of solitude as he waits for the motley audience to settle down. Anglo-Jewish comedian Dembina is gearing up for his one-man show called ‘This Is Not A Subject For Comedy’. The tiny basement bar is alive with anticipation as people wait to see him tackle the tricky situation of the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Indeed, not a conventional subject for comedy.

No laughing matter. Photo Credit: Simon Scott/Flickr

Dry, self-deprecating and dead-pan, Dembina’s jokes succeed in making people laugh. The next hour captures the undivided attention of all present in The Phoenix Artist Club as Dembina pokes fun at every ‘Holy’ institution, belief and ideology that is directly responsible for the sufferings of the conflict-torn region. Nothing is too sacrosanct; nothing escapes his withering gaze and comment. Audience members are often caught unaware, guffawing and chortling as Dembina peels off the layers of hypocrisy that stifle open debate and questions surrounding the conflict. He ends up baring his very soul, revealing intimate details about his Jewish heritage and how it shaped his life choices. His routine is brave, subversive and most importantly, laughter-inducing.

In this time of recession, what better way to forget one’s woes than by learning from those of others—not to mention the fact that this wonderful act is free to watch?

Dembina would have scoured this scribe for thinking and suggesting so.