DragProv Revue at The Miller, London ahead of its run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe from 2-13 and 15-26 August at Venue 188 (Sweet Novotel – Novotel 1).
Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩
DragProv is, as the name might suggest, a comedy improvisation act that features drag artists. Two, to be precise, in the glamorous shape of Christian Adore and Eaton Messe. In their hour-long improv revue, this dynamic duo performs off-the-cuff songs inspired by the audience’s suggestions, accompanied from the piano by the very talented Tom Hodge.
This gelling of these two proven comedy genres – a “Ru’s Line is it Anyway?”, if you will – is a little hit and miss, dependent as it is on the suggestions from the audience. It’s always the risk of such a venture, but Adore and Messe have enough comedic experience and musical prowess to pull it off.
Thus we get songs that (mostly) rhyme about Chloe the teacher who’s afraid of bushes in the night, the joys and otherwise of hoovering, how much a boy loves his lips (in a variety of styles from country and western to heavy metal Mulan!) and falafel.
Each performer has their particular strengths. Messe is as sharp as a bobby pin when it comes to the cutting remark and the spinning of fantastical yarns, while Adore has the voice and rapid-response wit to spout out catchy and lyrically robust numbers. One gets the sense that they’ve worked together for years, and they still clearly get a buzz from attempting to throw each other off course, which is when the comedy is at its spontaneous best.
This talented pair are, in daylight hours, school teacher Francesca Forristal (Adore) and Oxford University PhD Egyptologist Ed Scrivens (Messe). Both are alumni of the Oxford Imps improvisational group, and have trained with Showstoppers – the musical improv collective that never fails to impress, in my experience.
Indeed, I found myself comparing DragProv to the slicker Showstoppers and felt Adore and Messe came up a little short. I certainly would’ve liked a better balance between the songs (more) and the chat (less).
Still, there’s plenty to like, and with the right crowd (i.e., after a few pints) I can see these two tearing up the Edinburgh Fringe. Individually, both tracts of their act are well worn – there will be no shortage of drag artists and improv comedy at the Fringe this year – but together, their precious assortment of pencils and powders and paint puts a glamorous, sexy twist on the comedy.
Their 10pm slot just along from Edinburgh’s Grassmarket should give audiences enough time to get in the mood, and at just £7 a ticket, it’s certainly worth a punt.
Craig Glenday
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