Magic for Animals at Edinburgh Fringe ★★★★
★★★★ Magic for Animals | Greenside @ Infirmary Street | Aug 10-12, 14-19, 21-26 | 11:25pm
Liz Toonkel achieves the impossible, fusing heartfelt sleepover confessions with insane animal magic.
Her performance style is a winner, and she commands the stage with an open, honest and magnetic hour of animals, lols and mini-wows.
The magic moments could have been bigger, but the storytelling really is the star – and Toonkel’s energy is so New York funny, channeling the best of Saturday Night Live (with a soul). Her comedy is on point, exploring the bad things we do to animals as well as asking us to think about them as living, feeling creatures.
The costumes and artistry are beautiful to behold, and it feels very art/film school hip with exquisitely made visual gags (including a surprisingly agile crocodile skin bag).
Overall Liz Toonkel is an irresistible performer who deserves to break out in the UK and worldwide. A sitcom, perhaps, based upon this premise would be great, with a ‘Sex Education’, uber(un)cool, funny vibe.
I am Joint Editor at To Do List. I like free, cheap & offbeat London, especially: cabaret, art, theatre, pop-ups, eating out, quirky films, museums, day trips, social enterprise & much more.
