The Screen Test
written and performed by Bebe Cave
Pleasance Courtyard, Below • Fringe 2024 ★★★★
Hilariously silly and viciously pointed, this one-woman show is bracingly well-written and performed to the absolute hilt by Bebe Cave. So even if it's deliberately hammy, the show is underscored with powerful subtext. It's also fiendishly clever theatre, often painfully funny as it traces a young woman who is willing herself to stardom in 1930s Hollywood. Absolutely jam-packed with barbed one-liners and physical schtick, the show's frenetic energy is so far over the top that it becomes enjoyably cartoonish.
Betsy Bitterly is sure she is going to be the top movie star in the world. In her mind, she already is, demanding adoration from her audience and confidently throwing herself into auditions for roles like "peasant whore number three". She's overexcited when she gets a tiny part in a film starring her idol Katharine Hepburn, then of course worries that another extra will upstage her. But fate seems to be on her side. Progressing through the years, she gets slightly larger roles and marries a producer who offers a studio contract ("Sure, the studio owns you, but in a fun way"). Indeed, dealing with predatory men is the key thing she needs to navigate.
"I'm an empty vessel," Betsy shouts. "Fill me up!" This is a remarkable showcase for Cave's talent as both a writer and performer, offering the chance to sing and dance, engage in pratfalls and wrenching melodrama. The monologue is so dense that there's barely a moment when we're not out of breath along with her. And even if it never feels very personal, the humour and topicality are dazzling. There's also a fascinating meta-message here about the quest for stardom, or perhaps we just have an innate need to be seen by someone, anyone else.
details: BEBE CAVE • 11.Aug.24
Underbelly Bristo Square, Friesian • Fringe 2024 ★★★★★
From Australia, self-described neurodivergent comic Dan Rath delivers one hilarious zinger after another at a rapid pace, revealing a lightning-fast wit as he interacts with the audience in his own distinct way. He darts from topic to topic, dropping sharp punchlines everywhere, often with wildly surreal flourishes. And because we are watching this on his terms, we never quite know what will happen next. This slight discomfort makes it even funnier.
The disconnected approach often feels random, almost too quick for us to catch everything. And comments touch on so many topics that the mind begins to truly boggle. He speaks about the trend for taking ice baths before launching into an extended riff on the sinking of the Titanic ("Those people were in peak physical condition, but only the survivors got the full benefits"). His stream of consciousness touches on AI, ADHD and being diagnosed as bipolar and prescribed lithium ("I take the same dose as an AA battery").
Because he's so disarmingly likeable, he gets away with floating very close to the edge with his jokes, and he knows full-well when he tips over the top, relishing the audience reaction. And what's most impressive is that virtually every gag hits the target. Even when he goes around the audience members, asking about professions, his improvised reactions are quick and hilarious. When something feels a bit off, he opts to "Etch A Sketch that sentence". And when he asks whether any of this is relatable, we all know the answer.
details: DAN RATH • 10.Aug.24
Gilded Balloon Patter House, Dram • Fringe 2024 ★★★
Opening with a montage of photos of two brothers growing up together, this show focusses on Canadian comic Graham Kay's relationship with his brother Pete, who has autism. Kay uses witty observations and anecdotes to add humour alongside a warm exploration of the quirky bonds within families. He's a great storyteller, pulling us in as he describes the people in his life with amusing detail. And he's so open and honest about everything that we can't help but root for him, because the audience isn't quite as big as it should be.
In his early 40s, Kay is feeling the pressure to have children, because his only brother never will. And he has a strong bond with Pete, deepened during the pandemic when they began making daily video calls to each other speaking as Burt and Ernie. Kay shares stories about Pete's more problematic impressions like Apu from The Simpsons ("I have to let him do a hate crime") and his love for the now badly dated Power Rangers. But even though Kay often wants to ignore Pete's calls, he's always glad when he answers, because it's so much fun to play together like they are kids.
The way Kay weaves amusing punchlines through these relatively serious stories is impressive, including accounts of his family history and chaotic scenes with his parents, which led to his own issues with OCD as a teen. Kay is terrific at mimicking his family members, and audio clips add Pete's voice into the mix too. So their connection becomes vivid as this show continues, a complex mix of responsibility, affection, playfulness and guilt. He loves how Pete, by his very existence, reveals who's cool and who's a jerk. And that they're always there for each other.
details: GRAHAM KAY • 10.Aug.24
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