In Which I Bend a Press Release to My Own Obsessions

Over the past three years, I have tried to document the cabaret revival at the Fringe. I might have turned up late to the party - the best articles on burlesque were written at the turn of the millenium, when New York performance artists were ripping up the genre, and the new, ironic and sly reinvention of old school variety was pretty much in place by 2005. Fortunately, there were still acts worth writing about - Dusty Limits is always fascinating, and his decision this year to go in with the Free Fringe must tell me something about the balance of Fringe Power, Mat Ricardo inverts the usual smarm of the object manipulator into a snarky brilliance - and plenty of artists, who might once have avoided the category, using cabaret as a medium for work I'd probably describe as Live Art.


In support of these artists, I've insulted Bryony Kimmings in print, taken my mother to see Richard Dedominici, gone out to bat for the Wau Wau Sisters when they were being accused of abusing their male audience, bothered Des O'Connor in the dance studio and discussed with Chris Wilson whether the world is ready for his burlesque (it was).

Damsel Sophie, Yorkshire Diva, ends her press release with a promises that Hot, a one woman comedy cabaret, will appeal to unitard enthusiasts. Since I haven't been the same since Merce Cunningham's company split up - my first taste for the unitard came when I accidentally watched my mother's video of Cunningham at the age of five - and Hot is directed by Alexander Wright - co-artistic director of the Belt-Up company that have owned the alternative drama at C Venues for the past couple of years, it's likely that Damsel Sophie is going to end up as a chapter in my worst-seller study of theatre, Laughing at the Crucifixion.


"I reckon people are after a bit of live entertainment in the midst of all this recession business," says Sophie. "I, for one, am going to put on a bloody good show. Singing, dancing, lots of laughs." Yet my interest in existential misery, and radical theatrical technique, is unlikely to be disappointed, despite Sophie's promise of fun.


Including physical theatre and story-telling alongside the songs and comedy, Hot uses the myth of Narcissus as the foundation for a meditation on the importance of authenticity. And like the best Live Art, the inspiration came from Sophie's personal experiences.

"My first cabaret, The Damsel in Shining Armour was developed in Australia and received the Best Cabaret Award at Adelaide Fringe 2011. After that I demanded my friends called me Trophy instead of Sophie," she remembers. Yet success can be dangerous. "I went from audiences of two or three (Mum, Dad, occasionally Aunt) to having to turn people away. I was a bit like Su-Bo, I was overwhelmed. Flash forward six months later: I ran out of money and retreated back to my teenage bedroom at Mum and Dad's. It reminded me a bit of Narcissus, the boy who fell in love with his own reflection ….and died."


Under these circumstances, her connection with Belt Up's Wright is a natural alliance. "Al and I are both passionate about keeping the audience awake throughout an entire theatre show," she explains. "That's our joint mission, so expect a few surprises." 


One of the surprises, according to the press release, is reserved for the blokes in the audience. Having found myself on stage with The Wau Waus a couple of years back, I was keen to clear up the possibilities here, but Sophie was cautious, if provocative, when I asked her about this.


"I couldn't possibly divulge," she laughs. "But I like to use my men as props. I find everybody wins that way." But if there is a hint of slapstick in the show, it is balanced by her belief in the importance of sincerity in performance.

"It's got to be honest," she insists. "Vulnerable and self-deprecating." And through approach, the theme of Hot becomes easier to understand.

"There's a lot of pretentiousness in this industry, which is a lot of fun to send up," she notes, doubtless referring to critics who can't write a comedy preview without cross-reference a childhood love for avant-garde dance. "It's comedy like The Office, Flight of the Concords, Summer Heights High and Curb Your Enthusiasm that I am inspired by. I love characters who are constantly trying to be something they will never be. My stories always end in a celebration of authenticity, you've got to admit who you are and stop trying to be anything else. Release your dark side people."

LISTINGS INFORMATION
Venue: C nova, venue 145, Edinburgh Festival Fringe Dates: 2–27 Aug  (not 13)
Time: 22:15(1hr00)
Ticket prices: £8.50-£10.50 / concessions £6.50-£8.50 
C venues box office: 0845 260 1234 / 
Fringe box office: 0131 226 0000 / www.edfringe.com