Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, Edinburgh, until Mon 31 Aug 2015 @ 19:30
Alice Fraser stands on stage talking ahead of the start time, which makes you wonder whether you have arrived late. Whether part of the show or just a nervous pre-show chat, Alice shares that an audience member once said, ‘that was wonderful, was it comedy?’ By the end of the show it is clear why.
Despite being told (on more than one occasion) that Alice’s aim is to create a happy, silly and funny show, this aim is never achieved on the whole. All these aims do make an appearance however, and her song, in which she argues with her banjo, is a real highlight. There are undoubted highs. Alice comes into her own, for example, when she talks about her crushes and faith.
However, the whole show is disjointed, lacking in direction and purpose. It flits from light hearted stories about love and paper towels, to those about faith and loss in a incoherent and confusing way. Jokes fall flat and, more than once, Alice declares she is shocked there are no laughs. Asking your audience to ‘step up their game’ is embarrassing. She tries to be funny in doing so, but she just isn’t.
Adorable at times, Alice does provide laughter at points and when she does, it’s good. Then suddenly the mood will take a dramatic turn and become incredibly serious, making us question whether the show really is a warm and moving tribute to her late mother. Pre-recorded discussions with her mum, followed by a specified 7 seconds of silence, are touching and moving. All fine, but not funny.
Is this a comedy show? It is awkward for the audience to fall so harshly from laughter to feeling incredibly uncomfortable and obligated to give Alice a hug when they leave. We may genuinely sympathise, but any comedy is lost.