If you’re sick of fringe and feel like you haven’t seen anything fresh for a while, then a variety show is the cure to your ailment. I’m always surprised when I hear people say they’re bored of fringe, but I also suspect they don’t know where to look. The beauty of variety shows is that they give you a taster of a bunch of acts and entice you to see other shows you didn’t know you were missing out on. But it’s not just a sample of each act’s other show, there is always a little bit of fuck-around-and-find-out to it.
In this instance, at Fringe as F**K, the charismatic MC Tash York invites on three performers and alters the backing track to their part without their knowledge. As you watch them haphazardly try to adapt to the sound that may have been sped up, slowed down, put in a different key, or just a different sound clip entirely, the audience are not the only ones who are seeing it for the first time. Tash is like a cheeky RPG narrator fucking with her players.
Lucy Lovegun brings her clown burlesque which makes it relatable, as we tend to be a bit awkward with the sexy stuff, don’t we? The clowning makes it easier to consume as it reminds the crowd not to take everything so seriously. It is meant to be fun, and she absolutely brings that with her characters.
Kitty Litteur’s burlesque showcases the art of costuming, with layers upon layers upon… wait a minute, aren’t they supposed to end up nearly naked?
Millicent Saare is put on the spot as the audience is required to vote on what she must sing for one segment that the other two performers will dance to. Followed by live instructions from the Tash to change up the performance throughout, which sees all three performers improvising Tash’s ridiculous ideas.
As the title suggests, this show is very fringe-esque. It has the artistic finesse and a bit of weird. The basement of the Rechabite is the perfect setting for this kind of show and matches well with the excellent MC Tash York who brings the energy to this variety show.