The obvious question bound to divide opinion among an auditorium of Jews at The London Palladium to watch comedian Modi, an American Jew, the night after the US elections, was: “Should we eat before or after the show?”
Modi’s sell out show Pause For Laughter delivered the expected levels of moshiach energy, kicking off with the most beshert heckle: some poor goy in the front row called Rafa. All eyes were on him for much of the show, with asides to explain the how Christians can ‘stop’ being Christian, but a Jew can’t just stop being Jewish. Plus Modi’s devastatingly accurate definition of antisemitism: “hating Jews more than you’re allowed”.
There was a mix of ages in the audience, Modi’s shows having grown in popularity with the younger generation glued to his regular TikToks and his weekly podcast breaking down important decisions such as “whether to eat the jar of opened peanut butter left by the previous guest in your house rental”.
Modi highlighted Trump’s win and was immediately heckled. “What did I think about Trump winning? I think I’m glad you bough tickets. And I think you should buy again in February.”
The rumours about the show’s closing tradition did not disappoint – a standing ovation for the Hatikvah led by Modi, known for his cantorial skills, followed by an energetic encore of Am Yisrael Chai.
Tickets are selling fast for his next show at The London Palladium on 27 February 2025, so if you need a Modi fix before that check out his special Know your Audience at ModiLive.com or on YouTube.
For the record, I ate after.
