By Ron Bingham
This year Jayde Adams has moved out of her comfort zone, removed her diva costumes, put down her singing voice and donned a turtleneck jumper, to deliver a lecture on the history of feminism and a little of her family history, as seen through the Jenner/Kardashian family. I was a little surprised as I only knew her through her songs, but this was an excellent show.
Jayde came out with her Serious Black Jumper (you can buy a SBJ after the show, so you too can be taken seriously), to explain her theory of how people listen to those wearing turtlenecks. She is also carrying a cane, as she said she stuffed her knee up on the second day of the run. Using the big screen on the stage, she explains how last year’s hugely successful Edinburgh show led to no further bookings as well as a change in her agent and the direction of her comedy. We are given a short history of the Jenner/Kardashian family, which was very handy for some of us (me), and how Kylie completely changed her facial structure using just some of her own-brand cosmetics (which led to her becoming a billionaire). Cue a number of scathing comments, a short history of feminism and a call to arms of the young. We also had a story of an embarrassing trip to a very posh restaurant in Paris and a slightly depressing family Christmas party.
Despite the lack of singing which I had expected, I really enjoyed this show. Lots of laughs, some interesting points and some very funny stories. Now I just have to remove all that information about the Jenner/Kardashian family from my brain and I’ll be happy. I highly recommend this great new direction from an established comic.
The Ballad of Kylie Jenner’s Old Face is on at Pleasance Courtyard until August 25
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/jayde-adams-the-ballad-of-kylie-jenner-s-old-face