Rating: ★★
Venue: Buttercup at Underbelly, George Square, Edinburgh
A hilarious one-woman musical based on an unapologetic dating advice book that writer-performer Grace O'Keefe's own mother wrote. Publishers said it would set feminism back 20 years. 40 years later, let's find out! The theatrical equivalent of a little girl struggling in her mother's heels, this musical explores relationships, romance and the performance of womanhood. Featuring original music by Grace O'Keefe, the show will leave audiences with a deeper appreciation of their mothers and a chaotic new approach to dating and life.
Part drag, part cabaret, and part autobiographical comedy, this is a show I really wanted to love. And I did! But that doesn't make it good, or well done unfortunately.
I enjoy every musical under the sun, however this one wasn't quite up to the standard I was hoping for. The songs themselves are not performed to a particularly high quality, and the lyrics were often weak and repetitive.
The story was brilliant, and a very entertaining concept, however the pacing was misplaced at times - with the energy dipping and peaking unpredictably. In such an intimate venue, it's easy for the atmosphere to turn awkward, but Grace managed this well, offering regular audience interaction and gracefully (pardon the pun) accepting when this might not go as planned.
With a very small amount of costumes, set, and technical support, this piece is a typical example of what to expect at the Edinburgh Fringe. You may not know what to expect, but regardless of objective quality, you're likely to have fun!
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