Offering both new and established performers the opportunity to showcase fresh material, the RVT Hot August Fringe’s timetable of events has variety and originality at its core. Everything from burlesque to punk drag is served up over a packed month.
On the night we moseyed on down, the first of two shows we saw was the autobiographical piece ‘You Never Said You Love Me’ starring Madame Katastroff (in demi-drag). In this stark piece Katastroff shares intimate accounts and events from his childhood/adolescence. The show binds together fairly well, presented in monologue form, with the insertion of some nicely chosen musical numbers – ‘On My Own’ from Les Miserables being the stand out.
The songs are sung in his mother tongue of Finnish, with the words being projected in English, and this works sufficiently, as they retain the emotion needed. The speed in which Katastroff delivers dialogue, and his strong accent, does however make the show difficult to follow at times. The core message isn’t lost though one that everyone can relate to, the one thing most human beings crave: to be loved, unconditionally.
Baby Lame’s ‘Don’t Call It A Comeback’ was the second show of the evening. It juxtaposed the sombre tone of the first with depraved, manic, vibrant drag lunacy. Baby Lame is a six year old child star, played by Chris Weller, who embodies all the disdainful and sugary qualities the kind of toddlers you see in American pageants do.
The sensational Moan Crawful plays the part of pushy mother/manager, watching from the sidelines. Despite there being a technical issue at the start of the show, which felt like it took an age to rectify, the show is a true marvel. Full of colour, energy and intensely dark subplots. If you like your humour black like me, you’ll adore every second. The musical numbers all work perfectly; ordinarily Cher Lloyd’s ‘Swagger Jagger’ would make my skin crawl, however I curiously enjoy Baby Lame’s rendition.
The one criticism I would make is that there’s a touch too much audience interaction and participation, which can sometimes feel like filler. Great in a late night bar/club but not too much in a theatre setting. Quality over quantity always. And this show is dripping in psychedelic and ferocious quality. Watch out for this one, Baby Lame and her shit lips will draw you in. Oh, and the complimentary muffins have a very distinctive taste…
• The Royal Vauxhall Tavern, 372 Kennington Lane, SE11 5HY
