FRIDAY 26 AUGUST 2022 THISWEEKCULTURE.COM
Here we go with the final few days of Edinburgh Festival 2022! There are still plenty of chances to enjoy some of the great shows being staged here this year, and we've got more reviews to help you choose what to see.

And don't forget, on our website you can access all our coverage of this year's Edinburgh Festival - with all our interviews here and all our reviews here.

As well as reviewing shows and interviewing performers at this year's Festival, we've also been busy chatting to Fringe people for three editions of our brand new podcast, TW Backstage, all about the business of comedy, culture, theatre and fringe.

The first edition of that is now live all about the challenges facing the Edinburgh Fringe community - full info on all things TW Backstage is included below.

This is the final Extra edition of the TW bulletin for the Festival - although we'll have some very final reviews in the usual TW Weekly that will land in your inbox on Monday.
FIXING THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL
As we enter the final few days of Edinburgh Festival 2022, what are the biggest challenges facing the Fringe community?

In the first edition of our brand new podcast all about the business of comedy, culture, theatre and fringe, we look at the big talking points from this month in relation to the workings and economics of Edinburgh's Fringe Festival. What are the most pressing issues? What are the possible solutions?

ThreeWeeks' Chris Cooke chats to Charles Pamment, Artistic Director of theSpace; Ines Wurth, producer with Ines Wurth Presents; comedians Ivor Dembina and Alastair Barrie; and Richard Stamp, co-founder of Fringe Guru and reviewer with The Wee Review.

TUNE IN to this edition of TW Backstage here.

We have recorded three editions of TW Backstage at this year's Festival. Next week we will look at what performers and producers should be doing in September to maintain the momentum of their Edinburgh productions, and the week after that we'll explore the new Equity Comedians' Charter that was launched at the start of the Festival.

Then later in September look out for a series of panel discussions about the business of comedy in 2022 recorded earlier this year at Cambridge Sound + Vision.

1/5 bad | 2/5 mediocre | 3/5 good | 4/5 recommended | 5/5 highly recommended


CABARET

Will Pickvance: Half Man Half Piano

If I was in charge of the Fringe, there’d be a bespoke section for productions where a piano is the real star of the show. Alas, ‘Half Man Half Piano’ wouldn’t qualify, because Pickvance is clearly the star here, but his piano comes a close second, opened up – as it is – so to deliver a physical as well as musical performance. Pickvance joins plenty of dots genre wise, though those eclectic musical choices are masterfully pulled together through the different stories he tells, which are also cleverly intertwined. Dots are also joined between a throw-away remark, one of the key stories and the finale, something I somehow only realised as that finale arrived – though my late in the day realisation made the connection all the more joyful.
Assembly George Square Gardens, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Chris Cooke]




COMEDY

AT SWIM-TWO-BIRDS BUT IT’S TWO COMICS CALLED NATE KITCH AND CAITRIONA DOWDEN (PBH’s Free Fringe)
An odd couple: Dowden is your classic Chortle Student Comedy Award-winner, monotonally exploring her precocious middle class aspirations, anxieties, mediaeval history interests and sexuality: “a girl once told me she was turned on by the cogency of my arguments”. Her self-effacing, smart and well-structured routines prove that “organised fun is inherently superior to spontaneous fun… So I’ve got a graph.” Hemingway’s ‘For sale: baby shoes, never worn’ provides more obvious inspiration for both than Flann O’Brien, though Kitch’s style is self-aware, freewheeling anti-comedy with a wink. Introducing a random passer-by to a dead pink baby spoon is a noble failure but a Gaulier clown school ‘tribute’ works better, if that’s your bag. Go support their dedication to planning, and experimenting, respectively.
PBH’s Free Fringe at BrewDog Lothian Road, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Richard Tyrone Jones]

BriTANick (Stamptown)
After a (good) conventional opening sketch, format and fourth wall are broken early doors as Brian and Nick set us up with the premise that the latter and his fiancée have agreed to abstain from sex until their marriage, now delayed for two years by COVID. Then we get back into sketchery, which is formidably tight, richly layered and, as we progress, increasingly meta, as running gags and callbacks take over, permeating the whole thing until we start to wonder if it’s all a dream and, if so, whose. Most sketch show reviews I’ve written end up with some variant on ‘hit and miss’, being the nature of the beast. Not here: it’s one big sketch, and it’s a beauty.
Assembly George Square, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Bruce Blacklaw]

Edy Hurst’s Comedy Version Of Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version Of HG Wells’ Literary Version (Via Orson Welles’ Radio Version And Steven Spielberg’s Film Version) Of The War Of The Worlds
Bursting in like a Looney Tunes cartoon, and unfurling his entire show title on a huge banner, yes, Hurst is a prop comedian. He’s in a love/hate relationship to ‘WotW’s many versions, with plenty of genuinely fun facts to prove it (it’s thirteen times more likely anything will come from Mars than you’ll become an astronaut). Daft, interactive, fast-edited and tangent-packed, Hurst’s alternative, definitive home-made ‘WotW’ is sometimes so fast he loses comic timing, sometimes a bit shouty, but it reaches escape velocity when the Frank Sidebottomesque, squeaky-voiced Martian arrives. I really enjoyed Hurst’s playful Northern surrealism, and if he jettisons some excess payload, relaxes, and modulates his performance (via synth or naturally), this could take you to another planet.
Just the Tonic at The Mash House, run ended.
tw rating 3/5 | [Richard Tyrone Jones]

How To Live A Jellicle Life: Life Lessons From The 2019 Hit Movie Musical CATS (Linus Karp And Awkward Productions)
Extremely Jellicle comedy ‘How To Live A Jellicle Life’ is a Powerpoint presentation steeped in irony that’s never mean-spirited – thanks to Linus Karp’s endearingly nerdy and hilariously horny levels of investment in his topic (expanding beyond the musical ‘Cats’ into a wide range of camp pop culture). Like all great parody, this comes from an obvious affection for his subject. Linus Karp’s commitment to immersing the audience into the absurd world of ‘Cats’ fandom pays off as we start to share his intense feelings about Judi Dench, Jason Derulo, and er… Jedward. Conceived in lockdown, the show relies heavily on comic sans and clip art projection, but smatterings of ridiculous physical comedy bring it all to life in glorious 3D.
Greenside @ Riddles Court, until 27 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Bizz Holmes]

Jack Harris: Teaching Teachers How to Teach
Whether he’s really a teacher or a Teacher Teacher, Harris can certainly add to his CV ‘Teaching Comedians how to do a really effective comedy Powerpoint show’. He leans effectively into the illusion we’re trainee teachers, lampooning our transferable skills with practised crowdwork and dropping in endearing pictures and ideas from previous, real, pupils. In between fast, strong video bits like ‘Only Horses And Horses’ and bizarre product plugs, ‘Terms & Conditions’ rain bilious scorn on the current politics of teaching, and a nefarious undercurrent regarding Harris’ other training gigs reaches a slapstick conclusion. Yet almost every element maintains the atmosphere, the energy never drops and, whether you’re an ex-teacher (me) or ex-pupil, comic truths hit like a hurled board-rubber.
Just the Tonic at The Mash House, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Richard Tyrone Jones]

John Robertson: The Dark Room (Lee Martin For Gag Reflex)
For those not familiar with the Fringe’s long-running interactive ‘Rocky Horror’-style cult, in ‘The Dark Room’, an Australian Christmas Witcher lures geeky submissives into a dark room under the premise of playing a text-based adventure called ‘The Dark Room’. This is merely a pretext for him to consummately harangue, bully, and eventually, in role-play, kill them. With each year, ‘The Dark Room’ gets bigger, the geeks more rebellious and the unattainable £1000 prize more unattainable. Of course, the bullying is actually surprisingly wholesome, the catchphrases quickly learnt and, as we hurtle towards climate death, the collective yell ‘ya die!’ becomes ever-more urgent and cathartic. Inescapably, ‘The Dark Room’ is actually a safe space – and long may it remain so!
Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Richard Tyrone Jones]

Lou Sanders: One Word: Wow (Plosive Live In Association With Avalon Management)
Lou Sanders was largely enjoying a lazy lockdown until gradually realising that, comedy aside, she had no meaningful hobbies or interests. And so she took up roller skating and that – very loosely – is what the show is about. Or at least it was, until two life events just before the Fringe obliged her to revisit the ending. It’s strewn with good, often layered gags, and beneath a surface sense of breezy spontaneity lies the assured delivery of a comic with a growing bank of broadcast appearances on her CV. The frequency and quality of the throwaway asides makes it tempting to write something like ‘effortlessly funny’, but that’s not quite right – there’s far too much craft in this show for that. One word: funny.
Monkey Barrel Comedy, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Bruce Blacklaw]

Melissa Stephens: HOT DOGS & TEARS! (IAMA Theatre Company)
Melissa Stephens has a story – well, a lot of stories – to tell about growing up in the American South. They range from general observations before going into far more personal territory, with a challenging upbringing featuring neuro-divergence, addiction, excess, parental divorce and occasional physical abuse. Not easy to find the funny in all of that, but Stephens does so with alacrity, drawing the audience into often darkly vivid vignettes before finding several unlikely routes to cracking punchlines. It’s a little disjointed in places, things don’t always segue and not all references successfully translate across the Atlantic. However, Stephens’ committed, engaging and demonstrative storytelling style just about brings us all along on what, all told, is a pretty riotous journey.
Assembly Rooms, until 27 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Bruce Blacklaw]

Pete Heat: Blimey
At one point magician Pete Heat bemoans where most people place magic shows in the entertainment pecking order. Below karaoke, he reckons. But most people are idiots. And even if you are most people, the Fringe is surely where you should make an exception. Heat’s show is the perfect place to start. The jokes are balanced well with the tricks, and there are plenty of jokes about the tricks, and some of the tricks are basically jokes. But nevertheless, all the tricks are expertly performed, and even if you’ve seen them before, or think you know how they’re done, they’re consistently entertaining. And Heat’s somewhat self-deprecating style only enhances the impact when you reach one of those “how the fuck did he do that?” moments.
Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 29 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Chris Cooke]

Robyn Perkins: Million Dollar Maybe
If you doubt there are people who actually deny bisexuality exists, then Robyn Perkins has video evidence of such denial in action. And evidence is important to Perkins, whose passion for science is obvious even as she tells us the story of how she came to acknowledge and embrace her bisexuality. Though that passion is put to the test. A scientific paper that confirms bisexuals exist would be a good thing, right? But what if you’ve got issues with the science and scientist behind it? Or maybe the issues are with the limitations of science itself. ‘Million Dollar Maybe’ neatly combines the science with the love story, with laughs aplenty, while Perkins’ infectious energy ensures you are fully engaged from beginning to end.
Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Chris Cooke]

Sooz Kempner: Playstation (Sooz Kempner / PBH’s Free Fringe)
Kinetically introduced by classic games music, ‘Playstation’ contrasts Kempner’s shared box-room coming-of-age, via the first “grown-up” console, with flash-forward moments exploring the topic of never really feeling grown-up. Set pieces, including a sexy, overwrought ‘Star Spangled Banner’ rendition justify her reputation as a hilarious, energising comic, self-deprecator and singer. However, amusing lockdown comedy anecdotes (Facebook banned her for referencing India’s ‘Hitler’ ice-cream) and Twitter exchanges don’t necessarily serve the somewhat-sidelined premise. Stitched together with call-backs, varied gags and videos, politics montages, explaining ‘Grease’, then a sharp tone-change into a tribute to a much-loved friend, ‘Playstation’, like Kempner, jumps around a lot. Like a Playstation magazine demo disc, it’s thrilling samples of two, perhaps three promising shows which may each deserve a full play-through.
PBH’s Free Fringe @ Banshee Labyrinth, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Richard Tyrone Jones]

Thanyia Moore: Just Being Funny (Soho Theatre)
This flawless first hour delivers its title’s promised ‘funny’ by the bucketload. Thanyia Moore abandoned a show idea she’d been working on since 2019 in favour of jokes that make her happy. The resulting material feels fresh, but her past efforts weren’t wasted, because her style, voice, and craft are perfectly-honed. Stories of her family, first kiss, and past as a hip-hop dancer, are told with a superb balance of irrepressible energy, off-the-cuff dryness, and affectionately teasing audience-rapport. A few carefully-chosen projections and props give us just enough to get a genuine sense of who Thanyia Moore is as we journey with her from her Mum’s living room in New Cross, to the dizzying heights of a TV parachute jump.
Monkey Barrel Comedy, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Bizz Holmes]

Tom DeTrinis: I Hate New York (IAMA Theatre Company)
Getting off to an unnerving start, Tom DeTrinis begins by making loud and over the top conversation. The rest of his show continues much the same, running through the story of his life with an undercurrent of rage. His history is certainly an interesting one, and I can only applaud him for his intense presence, but I felt said presence was at odds with what was supposed to be a comedy show. Throughout the humour was lacking, and many jokes were obscure for British audiences, while DeTrinis’s constant over the top laughing had the effect of making most of the audience uncomfortable rather than amused. The show failed to really connect with the audience, who were clearly left feeling as though they had missed something.
Assembly Rooms, until 27 Aug.
tw rating 2/5 | [Rory McAlpine
]


DANCE + PHYSICAL

Dreams Of The Small Gods (Zinnia Oberst / Scissor Kick)
Born dangling from a trapeze, to forest sounds and fine mist, it’s symbolically important that we see the Wild Woman’s sex before her face, the latter obscured by her thick mane of hair. Empowering, unnerving, this makes her seem a masked fertility totem already, before twisting into being as a lithe, sinuous, human animal. Growing and descending to pound wet soil to tribal ambient beats, any emerging eroticism is earthy, pagan, joyous and soon, seduced by the ominous arrival of a mask of the old ones. Accomplished aerial artistry, the Fringe’s most atmospheric venue and simple, evocative setting mean the audience can ascribe their own interpretation to, or simply enjoy this mesmerising, unsettling, emancipatory – and physically demanding – piece.
Summerhall, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Richard Tyrone Jones]



THEATRE

Badgers Can’t Be Friends (Raving Mask Theatre)

So… where are the jokes? If you felt that the DC ‘Joker’ film was too dark, this feels something like the theatre equivalent – it’s not quite that dark, but the serious elements dominate. It’s a play that leaves the audience questioning, while highlighting the issues facing, the traditional education system, and the emphasis on this overshadowed the elements of humour. As jokes failed to land, I – and I’m pretty sure other audience members – was disappointed, because this was promoted as a hilarious comedy. That said, the acting is good, the direction adequate, yet… it feels as though something is missing, like a climactic stand-out scene, or some unique moment, as overall this show was, unfortunately, very forgettable. Wait…what was I writing about?
Greenside @ Nicolson Square, until 20 Aug.
tw rating 2/5 | [Andrew Melrose]

Blanket Ban (Chalk Line Theatre And Untapped Award Winner 2022)
Written and performed by Davinia Hamilton and Marta Vella, this impassioned show is a powerful, humorous and poignant exploration of Malta’s nationwide ban on abortion. ‘Blanket Ban’ opens explosively, with a comical introduction to the country’s many unique qualities. However, it soon delves into the real-life stories of many women who have hidden from their families due to this devastating ban, who have risked their lives or have been forced to continue with stillbirths, all due to the country’s ardent religious beliefs. They cleverly satirise this, highlighting the absurdity of male politicians making such devastating decisions over women’s bodies, prevalent in both their ruling party and the opposition. They also poke fun at the country’s sexual miseducation, and the shame put on female sexuality. I would have liked to see some narratives developed in more depth, but in an hour this urgent, informative show left tears in the eyes of many.
Underbelly Cowgate, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Eleanor Magic]

Classic! (Hope Mill Theatre / HER Productions)
You know those dusty books on the shelves, the literary classics, the ones you were always about to get round to reading? Well, now you don’t have to, because ‘Classic!’ is a fast-paced, funny and engaging summary of all those novels. Utilising singing, acting, mime and more, the performance had the audience laughing non-stop through humour of a very wide appeal, while also skilfully tackling some of the most complex novels in mere minutes. Whether you have an in-depth knowledge of the novels in question, or have never heard of them, this show will work for you: its humour, pace, hundreds of costume changes, and the undeniable talent of its performers make it guaranteed to add joy to any afternoon. And best of all, the actors look like they’re having just as much fun as the audience.
Pleasance Courtyard, until 29 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Rory McAlpine]

Eh Up, Me Old Flowers! (Simon Fielder productions)
This is the story of Charlie Williams, one of Britain’s first black footballers, later break-through star of ITV’s ‘The Comedians’. Interviewed by a journalist, does he deserve an MBE, or did his material pander too much to white prejudice? Though Tony Marshall (receptionist Noel in ‘Casualty’) bears little resemblance to Williams, this doesn’t matter. Marshall inhabits Charlie joyously. Perhaps Nick Read has even more fun portraying journalist, pit pony, Charlie’s wife, agent and even Frank Carson as we recap Williams’ life. With well-placed laughs and controversy sensitively-handled, it might fit good provincial theatres more than the Fringe, but it’s recommended to anyone interested in British comedy history. And Charlie’s last joke might just have brought a tear to my eye.
Pleasance Courtyard, until 29 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Richard Tyrone Jones]

Freddie Hayes: Potatohead (Freddie Hayes in association with Pleasance and York Theatre Royal)
Directed by Sh!t theatre, ‘Potatohead’ lacks their biting, salty feminist angle, but is definitely the daftest ‘Dr Faustus’ on the Fringe, and definitively answers the question “What if a potato came from Leeds?” Audience singalongs, deliberately awful puns and ventriloquism, and crazy puppets build an unhinged, involving panto-like performance from the gurning, silly, loveable Hayes. Out-of-character asides, true or not, evoke empathy with her puppet-building obsession, but her sinful, grotesque potato nightclub friends prove it’s worth it. Plus, we get a long-overdue character assault on Lineker. However, perhaps there’s a little too much video, the narrative conclusion abruptly says ‘that’s Charlotte!’ and the swansong is as cheesy as chips, so please subtract a star if you hate Robbie Williams.
Pleasance Courtyard, until 29 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Richard Tyrone Jones]

Happy Meal (Roots / Theatre Royal Plymouth With ETT And Oxford Playhouse)
Allie Daniel and Sam Crerar give lovely, detailed performances, developing hesitancy into friendship, until romance blossoms into a happy ending. A cartoonish set, and fun sound design take us back to early-cyberspace via chat-bubbles and dial-up bleeps. It effectively brings to life a play of digital conversations, but the mingling of eras is challenging. Described as a “rom-com where Millennial meets Gen Z” – the piece loses some sense of authenticity by putting Gen Z levels of social-awareness into the mouths of teens communicating via MySpace. Their online-ness liberates the characters, allowing them to construct identities as they see themselves, but means the audience don’t get much sense of their lives, personalities or character development outside their relationship to each other.
Traverse Theatre, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Bizz Holmes]

Leaving Vietnam (Andy Jordan Productions)
A Vietnam veteran – now aged over 70 – is still struggling to internalise his battle experience. He can’t move on when his service – and inner pain – feels neither recognised nor understood in a nation shamed by defeat. In this simply told but deeply layered tale, we infer much from what is not said; though important, sometimes surprising, material is added as we go along. We briefly see how feeling left out and unable to relate can lead people towards populism. But ultimately a chance meeting with the son of a fallen comrade leads to fuller resolution and redemption. The storytelling here is supremely well crafted in the realist, literal American tradition, and no-one in the audience can have been left unmoved.
theSpace @ Surgeons Hall, until 27 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Alan Cranston]

Man Shed (Right Lines Productions / Pleasance / Eden Court)
The loneliness of the old is relatively unexplored theatrically. Many older men, especially, are not naturally sociable, and may not recognise or act on their emotional needs. Here, in his shed, a man reflects after the loss of his wife and best friend. He understands his predicament intellectually but this is not helping him to come to terms emotionally. He starts to see that it is loneliness that underpins much else and to take his first steps back into the world via a community ‘shed’. Euan Martin’s excellent script explores the issues with wit and economy and Ron Emslie’s convincing performance brings dignity and pathos. Perhaps not everyone’s first fringe choice, but a must-see which merits a future life.
Pleasance Courtyard, until 29 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Alan Cranston]

Space Hippo (Mochinosha Puppet Company)
Although on a bad day it can seem otherwise, the Fringe offers enormous stylistic variety, and I love to seek out the less common forms. Good puppetry can be elusive, so I was delighted to find this absolutely top piece of shadow puppetry. At the start we are cleverly and amusingly introduced to both the puppeteers and a back-story. But soon we are immersed in technically excellent, brilliantly voiced and artistically superb puppetry which creates a (literally) fantastic anime-style show. There’s a fully told story, with excitement and sadness as well as much laughter. And all firmly underpinned with a gentle satire on human folly and credulity. This is theatre at its best, magically conjuring truth from imaginatively conceived absurdity.
Assembly George Square, until 29 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Alan Cranston]

Swell (Tom Foreman Productions)
‘Swell’ is a heartfelt cry, a climate play of profound urgency. While the story is a fictionalisation, its foundations couldn’t be more real: based on the true-life town of Fairbourne, this impassioned play takes place in Swell, a town set to be underwater by the 2050s – a fact revealed to its citizens via BBC News. Explored through the eyes of two siblings, struggling to support one another whilst grieving their father, we see how this once idyllic seaside location becomes derailed by the looming inevitability of its demise, as its residents must choose whether to stay or leave. Although the pacing and some performances could have been tighter, the characters and soundscapes effectively immerse us in the ecosystem of this town. This is a tightly written piece that shows how storytelling can engage us in the human impact of climate change. We need more stories like this.
Underbelly Cowgate, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Eleanor Magic]

Tenderly (Rain Theatre)
Awww… young love. ‘Tenderly’ is a slow burn piece that showcases the developing relationship of a young couple, however, life seems to be doing its best to tear them apart. The show is like a montage of key moments in their life with clever choreographed transitions that successfully contribute to its flow. The acting is sensational and audiences can’t help but become emotionally attached to these likeable characters, while the events of the play possibly resonate with many. The strength is very much in the script, which combines emotional scenes, banter and a touch of drama. Definitely one for those who are into the romance genre, though it’s certainly a piece that will surely warm anyone’s heart.
Greenside @ Riddles Court, run ended.
tw rating 4/5 | [Andrew Melrose]

The Funny Thing About Death (Kim Kalish)
Billed as a show about grief – this is about a specific bereavement: Kim Kalish’s boyfriend died suddenly at 23. Showing the impact of this loss means rewinding to her college years. She seamlessly embodies her younger-self’s simultaneous cockiness and naivety, eventually falling for a man who isn’t perfect, but loves her, and helps shape her formative years. Her loss is keenly felt, and frank descriptions of her grieving behaviours challenge weeping-widow stereotypes. The main humour is in affectionate impressions of her family, whose love shines through the caricatures. Some resonance is undermined by the production: an old white mat and stagey spotlight feel like student performance. The meandering storytelling and pacing suggest it would benefit from further editing and direction.
Greenside @ Infirmary Street, until 27 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Bizz Holmes]

The Penelopiad (Muchmuchmore Theatre)
This is why young people should continue to bring shows to the Fringe. I loved it, it competes on every level. Margaret Atwood’s acclaimed addition to the Odyssey relates the story of Penelope, who is left by husband Odysseus for the duration of the Trojan wars and his equally long and perilous journey home. Creatively adapted for the stage, this is one of the better shows I’ve seen this year. Excellent direction makes the most of the young people’s talents, energy – and (contrasting with so many Fringe shows) their numbers! The show is delivered at a good professional level, with excellent ensemble and consistently inventive movement, music, singing, costumes and staging. A great experience for both audience and young people.
C aquila, until 27 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Alan Cranston]

Who Here’s Lost? (Ben Moor)
Ben Moor here combines accomplished storytelling with densely written linguistic humour. It’s a heady mix of excellent direct-to-audience jokes, blink and you’ll miss it wordplay, unresolved one liners and surreal, sometimes poetic, imagery. The piece is glued together as a more than slightly improbable road trip, but there’s much else and the result is in part a wry meditation on the oddity of normality and the normality of oddity. I found there was almost too much to grasp in a show with so many invitations to look at things from a new angle. So the offer of a script at the end felt appropriate: but I’d happily see this funny, acutely observed and ultimately compassionate show again.
Pleasance Courtyard, until 29 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Alan Cranston]
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Year round, we pick the best shows happening in London and online each week, providing handy Three To See recommendations and interviewing the people behind those productions.

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