Shit-Faced Showtime: Oliver – With a Twist continues at Underbelly, Bristo Square until 27 August 2018.
Star rating: three stars ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩
From the masterminds behind the Fringe phenomenon Shit-Faced Shakespeare comes this inevitable branch of the franchise: musical theatre! Who could resist a Shit-Faced Showtime?
For those new to the premise, it’s fairly simple. Five performers put on a live musical theatre revue which has been meticulously rehearsed. However, one performer each night is designated to drink steadily and heavily for several hours before curtain up, and must perform the show, as the name might suggest, utterly wasted.
The rest of the cast, meanwhile, take to an array of crude props, sets and costumes to play out the musical and attempt, often in vain, to keep the wheels turning.
It’s an idea of utter brilliance, and coupled undeniably with the zeitgeist of the Fringe, as its mighty predecessor attests to. However, this new turn of the creative screw has some kinks to work through.
Comedy (even whilst sober) is a stickler for nuance. The effect of this show relies almost entirely upon the performance of one unpredictable drunk – in terms of entertainment this isn’t actually that desirable if you’re hoping for dependable comic buck – and our drunk wasn’t quite hitting the right buttons.
The surrounding scripted material needs to step up to take the reins if necessary. In the case of our Shakespearian cousin, the script is, of course, already fairly rounded (well done Will S), but here the show itself isn’t that enthralling, despite some lovely voices across the board – so the peril of the premise is deadened.
The joy of something like this is surely watching the struggle of the performers (sober and otherwise) to get themselves out of danger as the thing unravels, but our hammered heroine hits the ground running so hard that there is nowhere to go. It all unravels immediately and the show then coasts, trying a little too hard against a backdrop of no consequence.
This isn’t to say though, that it doesn’t entertain. Our audience (and indeed our cast) were cackling with abandon and it’s clear that the premise alone is, for many, enough to fill in the blanks.
It’s boozy, daft, at times bizarre, and perfect for a night at the Fringe. No doubt it will go from strength to strength as the run continues.
Aura Simon
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