Edinburgh Fringe Festival – Page 29

Miss Glory Pearl: The Naked Stand-Up

By Ron Bingham

OK, your host will be standing on stage naked from the start to the finish, but you will not be required to remove any clothing (although if it as hot as it was the night I was there, that could be a disappointment).

Miss Glory starts with a bit of her employment history (school teacher, burlesque dancer, stripper, advertising executive, but NOT a nudist) and, like all good ex-teachers, gives the audience a lovely, relaxed but well structured lecture about why she decided to perform her first Edinburgh show in this fashion, what the potential legal perils and penalties of not wearing clothes are (can anyone explain “decent exposure”?), and why her body is not as those depicted in magazines and advertisements are.

During the show, the audience is asked to participate in a discussion about their best and worst ‘bits’ and whether this defines what they are. The atmosphere is very relaxed and pleasant throughout the show and you will soon forget the lady talking to you is not wearing any clothes. This show is highly recommended if you are embarrassed by any of your “bits” or are curious as to whether it is possible to see a naked lady without ‘exploding in a ball of lustful desire’ (thanks, religion). It is also very funny in a laid back way (blimey, it’s hard to review a show about a naked lady without accidently slipping in a double entendre or two, isn’t it?).

Miss Glory Pearl is performing The Naked Stand-Up at Just the Tonic at The Caves.
For Tickets and more information go to the Edinburgh Fringe Website:

https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/miss-glory-pearl-the-naked-stand-up

Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens

By Ron Bingham

This is a tale of black murder, love, lust, revenge and justice told in song and dance, with loud rock music, flashing lights, smoke machines and sparkly costumes with a sexy cast.

The story concerns Saucy Jack, who has a tavern on another planet. His cabaret singers keep turning up dead just after they tell Jack they are leaving for better jobs (not much of a spoiler, as early on we see the blood on Jack’s hands at the same time we learn of the Slingback Killer). His employees all dream of a better life, away from Saucy Jack’s, but until the Space Vixens (the galaxy’s enforcers of justice) turn up, it seem they are trapped under Jack’s spell. The problem is that one of the Vixens may have a bit of a past with Jack, which means she will have to choose between love and justice.

This high energy show is performed cabaret style, with the stage at one end and the bar at the other, and the characters moving from one to the other throughout the show. The audience sits at tables along the sides, with extra chairs behind. The show starts at 11pm, has an interval halfway and finishes just after 1am (I snuck out at 1:15, while the cast and my fellow audience members were distracted jiving away to Dancing Queen – it could still be going). I had trouble hearing some of the words in the songs due to the loudness of the music and it was a little disconcerting having all the speakers at the stage end, when the action was taking place at the bar end but, apart from that, this was a fast, funny, sexy and toe tapping show that is well worth seeing. I did notice a couple of people down the front were returnee’s, they were dancing and singing along with the cast throughout. So it definitely has the repeat factor.

The cast all sang, danced and acted equally well, and I was amazed at how well they could move in those platform boots, wearing tight skimpy costumes with tall elaborate headpieces. Of course, as this is the far future, gender is unimportant and love is a flexible concept (it’s very LGTB friendly), so if you’re easily offended by adult themes, loud rock and disco music, smoke machines or sexy talk, maybe you should have an early night instead. Everyone else should be here, with a little sparkle in their costumes and their dancing shoes on ready to boogie the night away, at Saucy Jack’s.

Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens is on at Just the Tonic at The Caves.
For Tickets and more information go to the Edinburgh Fringe Website:

https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/saucy-jack-and-the-space-vixens

Comedy in the Dark

By Ron Bingham

A very interesting concept, which can be brilliant or not, depending on how much the comedian relies on props, facial expressions, gestures or costume. The host of Comedy in the Dark is Mark Olver and it starts with the lights on (as are the transitions as it wouldn’t do to have the comedian fall off stage or get lost on the way from backstage). The guests today were Rob Rouse, Margaret Thatcher (and a picture of Winston Churchill) and John Kearns.

Mark did an excellent job as host, with some audience interaction, most notably with the lady who had 200 small (foot tall toy) cows and the Brooklyn couple who had to describe their wedding buffet for Mark to judge.

Rob Rouse had obviously done Comedy in the Dark before, as he came prepared with a chair and a backpack with a couple of surprise props. He started by removing his trousers (in the dark of course) and talking about chickens, children and marriage. I’d talk about the props he used (and the ones he pretended he might also have in his bag), but I think he could be a regular to this gig and it’s better to keep the surprise factor there.

Following Rob was Maggie (in full costume) and Winnie, which needed half of the invisible prop work described before the dialogue, which sort of spoiled it a bit. The last spot, John Kearns, played a character which seemed to rely on seeing him in his hillbilly costume to complete most of the jokes.

So, it’s a fascinating concept, but not one that will work for every comedian. It is very dark in there, but be warned the lights can come up unexpectedly. It’s also warm and comfortable, so sit down the back if you come in a bit tired. Well recommended to “see” at least once, and the guests change daily (on a board out the front of the venue).

Comedy in the Dark is on at Just the Tonic at The Community Project.
For Tickets and more information go to the Edinburgh Fringe Website:

https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy-in-the-dark

Café Ruse

By Ron Bingham

Four actors playing: a cafe owner, a sick child, a precious artwork, a couple of Nazi handlers of stolen goods, a sexy lady, an ingenue who is a crack codebreaker, a pair of builders who may be more than they appear, an unemployed loser, an incompetent baker, a couple of the verge of a breakdown, a couple of sweatly naked male torso’s and one or two more I may have missed.

The plot of this play is (approximately) a cafe is being forced to close because the parents of a sick child who ate a loaf of bread from there are suing the cafe. The owners need to come up with some cash quick to pay the bills but that’s not important. This show is really giving the audience a chance to see four very talented actors going crazy trying to play all the listed parts, in order to keep the story going, while wrestling with a lot of props and costumes. Sometimes they fail, but they always managed to incorporate the accidents into the show, never stopping for a second, until the inevitable satisfying ending (for those that survive).

If you are after an hour of frenetic and well acted action/drama/heist/murder/mystery/noir theatre, which will leave you breathless with laughter, then you must book a ticket for Café Ruse. Once the word gets out on the street, there won’t be any chance of picking up tickets, so take my advice and book now. It’s on at 2pm, making it the perfect way to start an afternoon of Festival fun.

Café Ruse is on at Zoo Southside.
For Tickets and more information go to the Edinburgh Fringe Website:

https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/cafe-ruse

Tedfest

By Ron Bingham

Tedfest is a loving celebration of the brilliant Irish 90s sitcom Father Ted and this, as our host Father Joe Dolan explains, is a condensation of the annual four day Tedfest that has been taking place off the West Coast of Ireland for the past nine years. As the original Tedfest only allows 500 tickets and is held in the freezing February temperatures, I recommend this as an acceptable substitute (but you should visit the Aran Isles in summer as they’re lovely – I couldn’t help but wonder if the Irish Tourist Board are sponsoring the show?).

This mainland version of Tedfest starts with a song from Fr Dolan, then moves into a very heretical dance from someone called JH Christ (who did a very good impression of Roger Voudouris – Google it, kiddies), which gave the ladies in the audience quite a turn. After the stage had been cleared we moved on to the “Ted’s Got Talent” segment, which tonight saw a harpist battle with a comedy magician for the chance to move to the next round. I was very much on the harpist’s side until she made disparaging comments about my homeland.

Following this it was the turn of the “Lovely Ladies” to negotiate the intricacies of walking across the stage and chatting to the Father. They were both lovely, so why does there always have to be a winner and a loser?

The final section of the show was the tryouts for The Toilet Duck Award, which had the longest and most repetitive introduction in history. Four comedians were given precisely two minutes to deliver a routine and win the audience’s hearts.

Tedfest was a load of fun. If the references above make little sense to you, no matter, you don’t have to have been an obsessive fan of Father Ted to enjoy yourself but fans will know the sort of twisted humour to expect and this is a joyous shared experience for all. There’s a fair amount of swearing and some things of an irreligious bent, but it’s all in good fun (ah, buy a ticket, g’wan g’wan g’wan g’wan g’wan g’wan g’wan g’wan ….)

Tedfest is on at Underbelly, Cowgate.
For Tickets and more information go to the Edinburgh Fringe Website:

https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/tedfest

Rachel Parris: Live in Vegas

By Ron Bingham

Rachel Parris: Live in Vegas takes place in the Attic at the Pleasance Courtyard. This is a smallish room up three flights of stairs that has no discernable ventilation. It will get hot. Bring water and something to fan yourself with. For some reason, the staff refused my (sensible) request to employ some local youngsters to be stationed around the room waving palm fronds.That’s my public service warning out of the way.

The show itself is a very entertaining one-woman / multi-character cabaret show. Rachel starts by explaining how she has been trapped working on the Vegas stage due to a small gambling problem, before giving us a full Vegas style stage show with three other entertainers. the first artiste we meet is Crispin Prentice, a Britpop star from the upper side of the tracks. He sings a couple of songs about the difficulties faced by those born with a little (too much) money.

He is followed by the glamorous country star Gracie-Lou Steinberg, who sings some lovely country and western songs, but definitely not on themes that would get them onto Nashville radio.

The finale, and star of the show, is Felice. I’ve never seen so many gold sequins on a dress; she looked like a moving disco ball. Felice sings about the most important person in the world, herself. I was privileged to be allowed to touch (fleetingly) her hand.

The acts are separated by some sponsored advertising (very clever way of filling in while Rachel changes costumes). Rachel’s songs are well written, amusing and, apart from the heat, this would be one of my top recommendations so far. A show for those who want to go to see one of those glittering star-studded shows in Vegas but who don’t have the time or money.

Rachel Parris is performing Live in Vegas at Pleasance Courtyard.
For Tickets and more information go to the Edinburgh Fringe Website:

https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/rachel-parris-live-in-vegas