@ Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh, on Thu 1 Oct 2015 (and touring)
The award winning Scottish duo The MsFits, actress Fiona Knowles and writer Rona Munro, are back on stage by popular demand with their successful 2009 play Fur Coat and Magic Knickers . A one woman comedy drama, it takes place in a shopping centre where we find “Second Hand” Rose looking for an outfit for the hot date she‘ll bring to her daughter’s wedding; her personal shopping assistant Jenny, whose job depends on her sales returns; and the shopping addict pensioner Maggie whose debts force her into twisted Robin Hood-like acquisitions. And of course, the miraculous pair of knickers which provide source for shrewd comments on society’s obsession with flat bellies, cracking the audience up every time they are mentioned.
With Munro backstage and only Knowles left in the limelight, the partnership between those two is stunning. All three characters the latter brings to life on stage fit her so immaculately that the 29 years of team working are almost visibly evident. The comedienne’s impersonations are way too convincing and realistic, only slightly overplayed when Maggie laments over her piling red letters. However, that scene could appear less tedious if supported with some suitable background music. As to the comic element, the jokes are right on the spot. Although some bits of the humour might not be fully comprehensible to non-Scottish attendees in their twenties like your reviewer, Knowles’ crafty acting surely makes you appreciate the gags and laugh.
The set, like a Fringe production, is simple, but highly efficient in rendering the atmosphere of the shopping centre‘s fitting rooms area in the first part of the show. After the spectacular and parodic cliffhanger at the end of it, the action after the interval (yes, it is real, high speed action!) takes you to a literally breathtaking chase, set against Edinburgh’s Castle Rock during the Tattoo fireworks – cinematic, exciting and very, very funny.
The biggest strength of the show, however, are its utterly realistic characters, effortlessly played by Knowles, and masterfully crafted by Munro, whose real-life problems, shortcomings and charm would appear all too familiar and amusing to the audience members.