A Fringe Quickie (#180) with ‘Heavenly Baba’

Questions answered by Ismael Loutfi.

Q1: If you could take just one record with you to survive the Fringe — your ultimate comfort, hype, or grounding track — what would it be, and why?

Sia’s “1000 Forms of Fear.” I once drove from Florida to LA (2,500 miles, or 300 million kilometers probably) and I listened to this album over 100 times. It’s brilliant (in the American sense, not the overused British sense).

Q2: What’s the moment in your show that makes people laugh when they’re not sure they’re supposed to?

There’s a moment when I’m going over the messages my dad painted on the side of his car, and one of them is “Rectum is Not An Entrance.” People laugh LOUD and FEARFULLY.

Q3: If your show walked into a bar, what would it order?

A mug of instant coffee with tons of whole milk and honey. It’s bitter, odd yet strangely familiar, and it’ll keep you up all night.

Q4: What’s your trick for leaving your audience begging for more — or begging you to stop?

Excessive words of affirmation and gift-giving. Everyone in the crowd is getting love bombed and they’re going to LIKE it.

About the show