Naughty Cabaret at Edinburgh Fringe ★★★★
★★★★ Naughty Cabaret | Underbelly Bristo Square
Late night absurdity doesn’t come much more fun than this queer feminist showcase of funny people clowning around for your – and their – entertainment!
It’s around this time in the evening, after 11pm, when the Fringe really becomes a different animal. Back in the day, Spank! was our late night Underbelly variety show of choice, though it never failed to leave us feeling mildly ancient! Sadly, Spank! is no more – though, whilst always a good way to end a night at the Fringe, it could all get a bit cis-hetero. Well, Naughty Cabaret is magnificently not that!
Chaotically hosted by Anna Marie Simonsen and Marie Kallevik (TOLL; seriously, whoever put these two in charge of a variety show needs therapy AND a gold medal), Naughty Cabaret gives a platform to some of the weirdest and most wonderful clown, character comedy, burlesque and downright undefinable acts of the fringe.
We had the pleasure of spending time in the company of Meg Hodgson’s incomparable Moonface, stand-up comedian Hani Hussein, anarchist clown Liv Ello, clown comedian Grace Lusk, and future global superstar boyband A-men! While some were sharing extracts from their work elsewhere on the fringe, others were clearly just hear for the sheer joy of performing on such a beautifully bonkers line-up.
Special mention should go a/v technician cum show-stealer ELOINA, who’s mid-show stage intervention brought the house down. You’re really confronted with an embarrassment of riches when the support crew can count among them such a huge performance art star!
Naughty Cabaret won’t be for everyone – but those people should still see this show to have their horizons expanded. Every show will be different, but every show will also be one of the weirdest nights of your life. Mainstream comedy this aint – and all the better for it!
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