Fringe: Michelle Brasier - Monet X Change - Raising Kane

Reform ★★★★
Michelle Brasier
with Tim Lancaster, Jordan White
Gilded Balloon Teviot, Dining Room • Fringe, Aug.23

With seemingly boundless energy, Brasier puts her entire skillset to work telling a story that's hilarious, pointedly nasty and surprisingly moving. Fuelled by her innate optimism, the audience is taken through a series of twists and turns that emerge through stand-up comedy, dramatisations and sharply funny songs. Brasier's exuberance is infectious, even if the rapid-fire delivery makes it tricky to catch all of her punchlines. But the story is wonderfully engaging, especially as it urges us to see an often harsh world through more positive eyes. And the way she tells it keeps us laughing.

She bounds on stage with a riff equating Jane Goodall's study of chimpanzees with Ryan Seacrest's study of Kardashians, then notes that bonobos, unlike chimps or Kardashians, live happily without conflict, and she wishes humans could too. This leads into an epic story from lockdown, when she ordered a pilates reformer machine online, even though she had doubts about the seller (who is played by guitarist Tim, with Jordan accompanying on keyboards and percussion). Frequently breaking into song, this narrative proceeds briskly, as Brasier exuberantly recounts her efforts to get her money back from the seller over several months, developing an eerily codependent friendship with him in the process. It's a great story, and she punctuates it with songs, projections and riotously funny sideroads.

At each point in the story, she amusingly helps us understand her inexplicable decisions to be nice rather than aggressive. It's a terrific depiction of how we all interact politely in public, and then things shift when something goes wrong. And yet she continues to take a positive approach, always acknowledging how odd this makes her. Which of course brings us firmly on her side as the tale arrives at its conclusion. This isn't just a story about a scammer, it's also about issues of trust, empathy and, most surprisingly, empowerment. Brasier's songs are full of raw emotion and biting humour. And the observations she raises are hilarious, random and ultimately deeply thoughtful. "Maybe women feel they need to help a guy who is a victim," she says. "Or maybe I did it because I would have this story to tell." Be a bonobo.

For details, MICHELLE BRASIER >

photos by Nick Robertson • 14.Aug.23

Life Be Lifein’ ★★★★★
Monet X Change
Underbelly Bristo Square, McEwan Hall • Fringe, Aug.23

After her triumphant appearances on three series of RuPaul's Drag Race, Hall of Famer Monet X Change is one of the biggest drag stars in the world. For this finely crafted show, she proves that she can also command a big stage. Expertly played to fill the expansive McEwan Hall, this performance continually surprises, largely because Monet allows herself to be astonishingly vulnerable as she takes the audience through key life moments that created the majestic diva we see before us. This makes it powerfully involving, moving and even inspiring, while also being very, very funny. And her singing voice is epic.

Shimmering in a glittery jumpsuit under a tower of blonde curls, Monet takes the stage as a gloomy piece of accompaniment begins, then stops it to explain that this song is Lost in the Stars, from an operetta. Interruptions continue as Monet recounts details about her life as an opera singer and drag queen. She learned this song at 18, but hasn't had the voice to properly sing it until now. This leads to stories from her early life as Kevin, who knew he was gay but never said anything to his strongly religious family. And the boys at school said nothing either. Stories tumble out about school crushes, early sexual experiences and mental distractions that derailed very public performances.

Monet is a master storyteller, filling her account with riotously funny asides, pointed observations and striking emotional openness. Along the way, she mentions key songs that pushed her forward in her journey, from Britney Spears' Baby One More Time to Jennifer Hudson's And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going ("in the original key"), each adding to her queer confidence and making her ready for Drag Race, which challenged and sometimes crippled her. She also speaks honestly about relationships that are complex and impactful. All of this adds up to a decision to never play it safe, to use her full voice. And then she does, finally diving into Lost in the Stars and then into a mashup of her most important tunes. It's a jaw-dropping finale, as we see her passions for singing and drag collide in the best possible way. We're not sure whether to laugh or cry, so both are probably correct. 

For details, MONET X CHANGE >

photo by Rich Fury • 14.Aug.23

Raising Kane ★★★
written and performed by David Shopland
Assembly George Square, Studio 4 • Fringe, Aug.23

In recounting the life of Orson Welles within the context of his masterwork Citizen Kane, performer David Shopland finds intriguing themes that speak to bigger ideas about human ambition, expectations and creativity. He also ultimately discovers his own personal connections as a writer, director and actor, which adds a colourful kick to a show that's otherwise performed in black and white. The show feels perhaps a bit awkward, as those familiar with Welles and Kane will instantly spot Shopland's clever tinkering with the facts. But this adds nicely to the mischievous, mysterious tone.

With mood-setting music playing, Shopland takes to the stage dressed in grey tones, including his face (heavy-wet grey greasepaint) and hands (gloves). As Orson Welles, he speaks about how his first film Citizen Kane was criticised in Europe by Sartre, who believed that cinema must be present tense, not looking back. Meanwhile in America, Newsweek said the film was the greatest that would ever be made, piling expectations on the young Welles. He then describes his childhood in Wisconsin and the inspiring people he met along the way who gave him focus and direction in life, from his art-loving parents to teachers and his long-time collaborator John Houseman.

Finely written, the script is wordy, so the performance feels mannered, livened up by knowing references and camp impersonations of the people in Welles' life. Most powerful is the sense of a young man "standing on the precipice of immortality", and this is fleshed out in various anecdotes that are packed with knowing detail. Finally, Shopland admits, "I'm not Orson, I'm David," revealing the picture behind the picture as he transforms himself into a very different performer. It's a bracing shift that makes the entire play much more personal and resonant, reminding us to concentrate on the present rather than reliving past glories or worrying about future ones.

For details, FAKE ESCAPE >

15.Aug.23

Full information at EDINBURGH FRINGE >