CORPORATE CROWD LAUGHS IN SECOND LANGUAGE; COMEDIAN UNSURE WHICH ONE

RIYADH — A corporate comedy set performed in Arabic by a comedian whose jokes were raised in English ended in what organisers described as "laughter, followed by a short delay, followed by more laughter."

The bit, which put a story about MS through what the performer calls "Saudiazation," was reportedly held at the border between two languages for several minutes while the punchline's paperwork was checked.

"Corporate gigs are hard," Mr. Samman said afterwards. "Especially in another language. They don't reward shortcuts. Just patience and practice." He then asked reporters to repeat the question more slowly, in either language.

Linguists say comedy is the hardest thing to translate, after tax forms and tone of voice. "The timing has to cross over too," said one. "Most jokes lose their luggage on the way. His only lost a sock." A talking black Trans Am with a red scanner light was consulted, and asked to be parked.

The set marks a rare case of Mr. Samman rewriting his own material for a new audience instead of performing the old version anyway, a development this paper's theatre desk described as "growth" and "frankly, overdue."