TAMAM is Lebanese stand-up comic Habib Siam’s attempt at making sense of a world he finds increasingly unrecognizable. It is a conversation about absurdity, dissonance and surreal experiences, like six weeks alone in the woods with no cell service. Or live streaming a war in your homeland while on a work Zoom call across an ocean and two seas.

But TAMAM is a show about hope. The word is Arabic for “all good” or “okay”, and also his grandmother’s name. Self-reflective, vulnerable, and brutally honest, this show is a mix of club-paced stand-up comedy and long-form storytelling, bundled into a memorable, off-kilter, and most of all, hilarious live performance experience.

Instagram

About the artist

Born on Christmas Day, a stone’s throw from Bethlehem, Habib Siam thought he was the second coming and almost entered the priesthood. Several countries and questionable life decisions later, he completed a Ph.D. at McGill University, only to start doing stand-up.

Habib has headlined clubs across Canada, Europe and the Middle East for over a decade. His comedy draws on experiences of war, identity and everyday absurdity. Splitting his time between Canada and Lebanon, Habib brings a perspective shaped by both places to his work.