2011 Edinburgh Fringe

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San Franciscan comedian W Kamau Bell has lofty aspirations for his Edinburgh Festival debut, The W. Kamau Bell Cure: Ending Racism In About An Hour - luckily, he's got the comedic cojones to back them up. This may be Kamau's first show at the Fringe, but he's a celebrated political stand-up in his US homeland.

Billing The Curve as one part manifesto, one part diatribe, all parts funny, Kamau's bid to end racism in an hour counters the idea that the election of the first black American president proves racism is a thing of the past. Indeed, as the US economy fails, US racism thrives. Combining video clips, audio sound bites, personal stories and a whole bunch of funny.

The Curve has enjoyed immense success across the USA. As racism finds new ways in which to raise its ugly head, Kamau finds new material to fight back, resulting in an ever-maturing show that packs in as much punch as it does laughter lines. Kamau has also released two stand-up comedy CDs, One Night Only and Face Full Of Flour which was named one of the ten best comedy albums of 2010 by both iTunes and Punchline Magazine.

Kamau has twice appeared at the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal and has been featured on HBO Canada. Kamau has also been featured at the 2009 Aspen Rooftop Comedy Festival, the 2010 and 2011 Bridgetown Comedy Festival, the 2010 New York Comedy Festival. He spent two years appearing regularly on radio station Live 105 as half of the movie review team Siskel & Negro (Kamau is Negro). Kamau has another podcast with Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid called The Field Negro Guide to Arts & Culture (legally, all of Kamau's podcasts must have "Negro" in the title).

Kamau is a great social and racial commentator, combining his sharp insights with a hefty dollop of mischief so that his weighty topic is delivered with a skilful lightness of touch. He's a big name in the US and just as relevant here.