Frank Sanazi's Das Vegas Four: Zis Time It's War

It is such a good idea to make a singing Hitler develop a Vegas lounge career as ‘Frank Sanazi’ with a coterie of ‘Iraq Pack’ dictators as his support acts – it's just a pity that the executions aren’t as thorough as at Nuremberg.

Frank’s own material is good enough—the lyrics of ‘That’s Life’ well-adapted to ‘Third Reich’—he’s quick witted and combines topical gags with the audience interplay of a long-time comedian like Eric Morecambe or Tommy Cooper. A loyal returning audience is willing him on but there’s a certain unease about his performance, and the repeated plastering of his forelock with a damp palm may mean he now needs a stage wig to carry off the look.

He also needs a bigger and stronger supporting cast – the ‘Iraq Pack’ includes Osama Bing Crosby, Saddami Davis Jnr and Dean Stalin are all craftily created but thinly spread when all played by the same actor in too-rapid succession. His best impersonation was ‘Spliff Richard’ but any connection between Cliff and the Vegas headliners of the 1940s is lost on this particular audience.

There’s also a brief sketch with Marlene Dietrich – possibly only a filler, but wholly inadequate if only because Marlene was neither a brunette nor a stripper.

For sure, Hitler should come back.  And not just to dinners for far-right political parties who mistakenly invite this ironic act.  Maybe it’s inappropriate to tell Adolf to chillax, but a less frantic performance with a couple more cast members would help the audience relax more too.