Ellie MacPherson: Happy Birthday, Mr President continues at Underbelly Cowgate – Big Belly, Edinburgh until 28 August 2022.
Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Every August (well, almost) Edinburgh becomes a hotbed of the top talent from around the world. To stand out from the crowd takes something exceptional. Ellie MacPherson is most definitely exceptional and outstanding.
A three-piece band (all characterised as Secret Service Agents, hiding behind their shades) are the suitable backdrop and musical heroes to match MacPherson’s performance. Complete with Marilyn-style wig and the iconic golden glittering dress, she breathily pouts her way through ‘Happy Birthday to You’.
Losing the wig and gaining her light from under a nearby bushel, MacPherson shimmers like a human glitterball with a powerful voice that grips her audience – this girl can really sing! What’s more, she is original and very, very funny.
She begins explaining her fascination with presidents. It’s actually borderline obsession – and launches her way through their characteristics, traits, foibles one president at a time. We learn about those who had affairs (so, so many of them – and that’s just JFK); those suspected of being illiterate; their stance on slavery; the almost death-wish of some; the overcoming adversity of others. Each story leads into a song. It can be seen as a fun game, almost an internal contest of her wits against the members of the audience to secretly ‘name that tune’ as she launches into the often surprising song she pairs with each man in turn.
Choosing the right songs in every scenario sees her plunder the archive of everyone from Tina Turner to Dolly Parton via Radiohead and Amy Winehouse.
She is glorious in her storytelling, in her banter with the audience and her understanding of football chants here in Scotland, accompanied by the favourite al fresco drink of every ‘Jakie’ in Edinburgh – Buckfast Tonic Wine. The song lyrics are often ‘modified’ to better reflect the stories and are all superbly sent up or worshipped in MacPherson’s dazzling vocals.
There’s not much time left to catch this show, but catch her if you can.
Fiona Orr
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