Edinburgh Fringe 2024 Reviews – I Am Your Tribute, Beryl Cook: A Private View, Please DON’T see our show, Milo Edwards: How Revolting! Sorry to Offend, and Sitting Pretty with Kitty Cassis

Posted on August 18, 2024 by therealchrisparkle

I Am Your Tribute, PBH’s Free Fringe at the Voodoo Rooms.

You can divide the world into two types of people; those who think tribute acts are cheap and steal the glory of the stars they mimic, or those who believe they honour their stars and pay tribute to their excellence. If you’re one of the latter, you’re going to love Sarah-Louise Young’s I Am Your Tribute. What are the reasons why a performer might go down this particular path of entertainment, and which plethora of stars do performers like Sarah-Louise choose to bring to life? All is answered in this enormously positive and joyful show, with plenty of good-hearted audience participation and, unlike Mamma Mia and The Bodyguard, you’re welcome to sing along too (at appropriate moments. When invited to do so. Don’t disrespect the turn!) There’s a thrilling moment where Julie Andrews has to Let it Go, plus there are wonderful tributes to Freddy Mercury, Kate Bush and many more. All put together by the hugely talented powerhouse that is Sarah-Louise Young. The kind of feelgood show that has you beaming from ear to ear, and a truly showbizzy start to the day!

Beryl Cook: A Private View, Pleasance Courtyard.

There was a time when Beryl Cook’s illustrations were everywhere. On greetings cards, posters, tea towels, mugs, you name it. Her style has always been instantly recognisable; big, jolly men and women, warts and all, getting caught off-guard having fun, frequently with a touch of naughtiness or even salaciousness. But what do we know of the woman herself? She lived a very private life and kept herself and her family out of the news headlines. Beryl Cook: A Private View is an excellent way of getting to know the woman behind those bold canvasses. Kara Wilson writes, narrates and paints her way through an appreciation of Beryl, a show created in association with Beryl’s son John, and it’s an enjoyable and highly inventive hour of both understanding the creative process behind those famous pictures and good old-fashioned nostalgia. Out of necessity, Ms Wilson has to have her back to the audience on and off throughout the performance to paint her picture; this does somewhat interrupt the flow of the show, but I can’t see how this could be avoided. Nevertheless, it is fascinating to see a picture painted over the course of an hour, and you will come out of this show wiser about Ms Cook and her work.

Please DON’T see our show, Just the Tonic at the Mash House.

Welcome to the Zumba hour; well, it would be, but it’s easier to book a Fringe venue than negotiate with the local parish council. So, a quick change of programming is required, and after dismissing a suggestion of an improv show, the group decides to go back to their offering of five years ago, a loose parody of Love Actually, Duncan’s Big Affair. It destroyed friendships last time around, and it looks like it might do the same again now. I think that’s the gist of the show, but I’m not 100% certain if I’m honest! Not A Gym Productions’ Please DON’T see our show is full of comic ideas and a whole heap of physical comedy, some of which lands terrifically, and some of which never reaches the ground. Perhaps I’m a little old to get all the references; however, the performers are all very likeable, full of energy and commitment, and show tremendous potential; indeed, the actors playing Emma and Molly (Bethan and Robyn?) give very strong comic performances. Most important of all, the audience loved it!

Milo Edwards: How Revolting! Sorry to Offend, Monkey Barrel Comedy 2.

Milo Edwards’ new show takes on the class system in the UK and specifically concentrates on his grandmother Peg, and her influence in his upbringing; her proficiency on the Bowls green and her appreciation of the art of Spite – which is clearly what keeps her going into her very old age! Milo Edwards is a fantastic joke teller, and the hour is crammed with superb material, including reflections on the Falklands War, how to spot a posh person, and the perils of temporary tattoos on the backside. Fresh, funny and full of drive, Mr Edwards is a terrific comic presence and we didn’t stop laughing all the way through!

Sitting Pretty with Kitty Cassis, PBH’s Free Fringe at the Street.

Come, if you dare, into Kitty Cassis’ salon – the most exclusive hairdressing salon in the North West, where she also doubles up as a hair transplant surgeon, earlobe reader and she’s a devil with the fillers. Everyone’s a valued client as Kitty shares her career highlights and professional rivalries – whatever you do, don’t go to Brenda’s Brows or she’ll kill you. A fun, inclusive and hilariously good-natured show, Kitty Cassis is the comedy creation of Aimee Cooper, and she presents an hour of chatty gossip, musical interludes and bleaching. Throw yourself into it and you’ll get the most out of it – I came out with a hair transplant! What the Free Fringe is all about!

Review – The Burlesque Show, Royal, Northampton, 14th January 2012

Posted on January 16, 2012 by therealchrisparkle

Six months after the Ministry of Burlesque’s first Burlesque Show at the Royal, we welcome another show of variety acts with added titillation. Our compere this time was Sarah Louise Young, one third of the current Fascinating Aida line-up and she was full of cheekiness, flair and humour. She had great interaction with the crowd including three girls she named Sister Sledge in the box, Colin in Row C and the missing Trevor, more of which later. She had some terrific songs included her suggestion for the UK’s next Eurovision song, which was all about miserable children living in poverty, and the chorus went “but we don’t care, do we”. She hit the perfect level of total bad behaviour whilst appearing completely proper.

The first of our three Burlesque teasers, all of whom appeared last time, was Elle Amour, who went a little crazy for some cream cakes. She wrapped up the evening later on with another routine, although she herself was not very wrapped up by the end of it. A charming young lady.The second was Miss Kittie Klaw. Last time she was forced to undress to rid her clothes of a surprisingly large number of spiders lurking therein. This time she was dressed in a sailor’s suit and danced the hornpipe, inter alia.The third was Mia Merode, whom we saw last time under a different name (see, I did some research.) I have to commend her for remarkable fan work and ability to rotate tassels in different directions. Mrs Chrisparkle kindly took notes for future reference.

Musical entertainment came from Delores Delight, who I also remember from last time. In the second half she had gave a couple of gutsy performances of show stopping numbers and she really does have a great voice! The other musical performer was Elliot Mason.He has extremely funny songs about unlikely subjects such as corporate rebranding and mistaken identity, but unfortunately, he sang almost exactly the same songs in the show six months ago, so we found it more nostalgic than riotous. But he’s great at involving the audience making silly accompaniment noises and he went down very well with the crowd.

Paul Zenon was back again, a brilliant magician with funny attacking patter. He did some good baffling tricks, which I loved, but then I am a sucker for magic. It was during his act that something rather odd happened – the Northampton audience became a little anarchic. Mr Zenon approached a guy in row B to come up and join him for a trick. “What was his name”, he asked. “Gary”, he replied. Within a few seconds the call of “Gary! Gary!” went around the theatre, to the total astonishment of Paul Zenon. Gary seemed to take it in his stride. “Friends of yours?”, asked PZ. “No”, Gary mildly replied. The vocal Mexican wave of “Gary, Gary” went around again. Slightly nonplussed, PZ continued and got Gary to pick a card from the pack, and show it to the audience. “Ten of Spades” shouted out someone from the back, to the huge guffaw of the crowd and the blinking incomprehension of Mr Zenon. “You’re not meant to do that!” he responded, and I felt he was beginning to get slightly irked. It wasn’t the ten of spades; but I don’t think at that point of the trick Mr Z knew that. In the end it was the ten of hearts and a jolly clever trick. But I think Mr Zenon would be the first to accept that overall it was a score draw between him and the audience.

Only two acts were new to me, and they were both fantastic. The first was the brilliantly named Audacity Chutzpah, who appeared in the first half as She-Ra, Princess of Power, where she appeared to grow limbs from under her cloak; and in the second half as a Cos Lettuce eating faun who coquettishly approached members of the audience before flinging limp salad leaves around to the tune of Alexander Rybak’s Fairytale. She’s a perfect clown and made me laugh hysterically.

The other was Elan, a stalwart of the Crazy Horse in Paris apparently, and another fabulous physical comedian, in the George Carl tradition. He uses the suitcase prop superbly – it really has a life of its own; he takes on completely different appearance with a mask, and goes totally berserk bodypopping. Not a word is spoken; a wonderful act.

There was barely an empty seat in the house – even the upper circle was full, and both boxes. One of the boxes only had two people in it. Trevor couldn’t come, apparently, which was the cause of much sorrow. “We love you Trevor” came a disembodied voice from the balcony, continuing the rather weird anarchy of the evening. At one point, a note fluttered down from the balcony on to the stage. Sarah Louise Young picked it up and read it – it was Trevor’s phone number. Thus, with the use of an iPhone, and much embarrassment to his friends, Trevor, ill at home, was still able to hear the final number before the curtain came down. Isn’t technology wonderful? The Burlesque Show certainly is – a thoroughly entertaining and constantly inventive variety show. Highly recommended.