I/V inner of "Best Cafe in Edinbmgyh’ The List Illagqazine
RAIN PRYOR
Affectionate memories of a troubled childhood .00.
It would be fair to say that I went into this with some rather unfair
thoughts. Has there been anything more exploitative on the Fringe during its many years when people have made their names from simply cashing , I in, albeit for one brief month? How on earth could the daughter of the 7 175 G0" Pnlgt 72’“ and
swor'dss greatest “living” comedian’ put on a show about her upbringing in
the often neglectful shadow of genius when that comic legend is busy lying
around, playing out his final days? Occasionally, he may have the energy to (SE 1 t t/JL’ TOIVIZ ask someone to switch on his VCR to judge some upcoming comedians for ‘3 ., 3‘ a rather contentious award, but even that has been denied him this year. ~ 1‘ ~~ Those unfair thoughts have been dispelled by seeing the ball of flame ( ., ‘) , , ’ ' ‘ and bundle of fun that is Rain Pryor. Her set Fried Chicken and Latkes is, l )pb.” f( 7‘ a," 11610115 Igor] and as she tells us repeatedly in her opening gambit, a story of being brought ’ [1777118 frmn 8am til 11p"!
up both Jewish and black, where she often found herself in the temple singing the blues. Straight off the bat, memories are stirred of last year’s big hyped American Fringe story, Wendy Spero, who also had plenty stories of her childhood to share with unsuspecting Edinburgh audiences.
ever day.
But where Spero squeaked like a mouse with half-baked tales of nothing i .21 (it‘mgfl‘ 1V lil‘idflt‘ really much at all, Pryor roars like a lion, belting out show tunes, dancing Flfinlnnflb
like a crazeeee woman and endearing herself to us like a, to use her papa’s catchphrase, ‘motherfucker’.
Seems that daddy caught the habit for the ‘m’ word from his grandmother, a dominating woman who Rain impersonates with affection ‘.__._-_
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here. Indeed, during the show she takes off most of the people who had a
great influence on her: father dearest (impersonated here in 1979 on stage, in a show which made Rain realise that her dad was, in fact, a superstar),
her bitter mother (enraged by her husband’s ways and deeds) and, most ’ amusingly, Juanita, the wise-assed disco girl who was her first true friend ,5 ‘5‘: ié‘féfafi'ffg’i. ",x ' fl ' during a childhood when Rain was the target of abuse from all quarters. I a: I, :"if I» \ There is, of course, poignancy among the joviality. The albeit witty telling ; RF!" ’75)»?géiirlfijf‘ K ~:-(.’,;\n of her own attempted suicide (whether a direct threat or not) hides a / A”. \‘J N11 with)!“ no”- multitude of miseries, but it’s clear that Rain Pryor has channelled all her 1" ‘ I . ’ ~ own problems into creating rather than wallowing. The talented 1:43,? i .3” J ft! tib’llllll], znexpensz V6 (17211 motherfucker even brought a smile to this honky’s face. (Brian Donaldson) a ,5 ' u war] , d ,11- ) ,, I Baby Bel/v. 0870 7.455 3083. until 28 Aug (not 1:3). 8pm. $850—$960 it,“ E L '3 L C ( “‘8‘ M. 550—419. 50,. {-1 , 5 “1‘4...” a. “ m at: B -
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3 11/11? J's/11111 Street (Nit/Jolson Square) (1131-6684404
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1 1—18 Aug 2005 THE LIST FESTIVAL MAGAZINE 35