Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2014 – REVIEW – The Referendum Review Show

Yes? No? Just Go, Go, Go!!

Went to see The Referendum Review Show recently at the Free Sisters. With – even by Fringe standards – an inauspicious setting (basically a cupboard) and a difficult remit: a non-partisan view and revue of the Referendum debate so far – my expectations weren’t that high.

For a start – could it possibly be completely neutral and secondly – could it be funny? Well, they managed to tick-box the first requirement by ripping the p*** out of both sides; and funny? OMG! Yes, yes, yes!!

I’ve seen a fair amount of comedy in my time so I’m not that easily impressed but this had me almost incapacitated with laughter. Very much in the Only an Excuse vein with razor-sharp political comment. You know – razor-sharp but done in that gallus way that’s not above wringing every last ounce (or should that be stone?) of comic potential re Alex Salmond‘s girth; but the No side get it tight too with the Brown/Darling pairing being described as the Un-Chuckle Brothers.

Ah yes! They’re all there – The Krankies, John Barrowman and the unnamed ‘bawbags’ (you know who they are) who wax lyrical about the old country from their Hollywood poolside.

There were a few people in the audience for whom, I suspect, English wasn’t their first language – with Scots probably being a wee bit further down their curriculum – which I think explained the puzzled looks on some faces. That along with exploring the whole Scottish psyche thing (‘we’re s**** and we know we are’) must have made them think they’d wandered onto another planet.

However personally speaking – being Scottish and politically aware but pretty much fed up with both sides – this was right up my close! From the jaw-dropping vox-pop video footage of Rangers fans giving their ripe appraisal of Alex Salmond to a sing-a-long Referendum version of D.I.V.O.R.C.E the whole thing is hilarious and insightful in equal measure. Go see even if only for a crash course in what it’s like being a Scot, and if you are one – prepare to have some oxygen and maybe a fresh pair of pants on standby!! The Free Sisters (Staff Room) @ 20.30 until 24th Aug.

Submitted by Sonya Nemec