LIST.CO.UK/FESTIVAL
Reviews {MUSIC}
VIVE LE CABARET Fishnets, comedy and clowning share the bill ●●●●●
Made up like a goth-clown in a tail suit, the cabaret ringmaster bounds onto the stage accompanied by glitzy peacock- tailed dancers. There’s a desperate attempt to emphasise the sexiness of this show, with some forced audience interaction and calls for everyone to get ‘hot and horny’. So far, so good, if this type of traditional, dancehall cabaret featuring lots of bare bottoms and fishnets is your thing. But this fun and games is short-lived, as the stage gives way to an up-and- down series of single-act performances.
After some sordid stories from Jeff Leach, we get a promising six- minute enactment of 100 years of women’s liberation from burlesque clown Audacity Chutzpah, travelling through time in various stages of undress. Frank Sanazi
EVELYN EVELYN Adorable freakshow ●●●●●
Part comedy, part freak show, and part Americana folk, this act from Amanda Palmer (she of Dresden Dolls fame) and Jason Webley, presents, as our host Thomas Truax claims, the world’s first conjoined-twin singer- songwriters. Born in 1985, the twins are connected at the side and have between them two legs, two hearts, three lungs and a single liver. They also look very much like Palmer and Webley (the goatee’s a giveaway). They’re very shy, only encouraged on stage with applause, but once they get started, they entertain right up to the encore.
Singing in close harmony and sharing instruments, the twins perform a series of songs that detail the
highs and lows of being conjoined. Their opening sad piano tune about their everyday dilemmas has the two singing alternate halves of lines such as ‘Should we be firemen? Can we be astronauts?’ It’s funny – even they can’t help laughing – but their melancholy is moving too, and it’s easy to fall in love with their individual personalities and various quirks, like their insistence on wiping clean each instrument before playing. We hear about dating problems and issues of personal space as they move from drums to accordion to ukulele, culminating in everyone swaying to their lighter flames for probably the most bizarre rendition of ‘love will tear us apart’ that the Fringe has ever seen. (Natalya Wells) ■ Assembly George Square, RUN ENDED.
WHITE MINK The swingingest joint in town ●●●●●
Fans of the swingtastic Vegas! club nights have long been aware that the best parties in the world all took place before the 60s started, daddio. Unfortunately, aside from sporadic events such as The Gatsby Club and Vegas’ own semi-regular outings, the flappers and dapper gents among us are ill-catered for. Thank heavens, then, for White Mink, taking place every weekend of the Fringe at the classy, sassy Voodoo Rooms.
This particular brand of speakeasy has a modern twist on it though – all the tunes fall into a broad category of ‘electro-swing’, meaning there’s a bit more oomph behind the bass and the tempo is kept snappy. The 21st century element is emphasised by the evening’s live act, Le KKC Orchestra, who mix their French grooves with hip hop beats and vocals. White Mink creator Nick Hollywood is based down
in Brighton, meaning those seaside cats get to dance the Charleston on a much more regular basis. It’s such a riotous night out that it can’t help but become more widespread in the future; in the meantime, get yourself along to the Voodoo Rooms while the Fringe still swings. (Niki Boyle) ■ The Voodoo Rooms, 226 0000, 25–27 Aug, 12.15am, £10.
F E S T I V A L
sings right-wing crooner classics such as the terrorist-themed ‘Strangers on my Flight’, and gives us a round of jokes with more Third Reich puns than you’d think possible. Most impressive were dance group Hustle – but with Beyoncé-style choreography, not hugely exciting – and Scott Capurro seemed to steal the show with boundary-testing gags. This show supposedly pioneered cabaret at the Fringe; now it doesn’t know what it is other than a way for comedians to advertise their own shows. (Natalya Wells) ■ Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 29 Aug, 10.30pm, £12 (£10).
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25 Aug–22 Sep 2011 THE LIST 47