Showing @ Gilded Balloon Teviot, Edinburgh, Wed 31 Jul – Sun 25 Aug (not 14) @ 13:30
Professional musical instruments may be thin on the ground in the Kingdom of Lesotho, but apparently that hasn’t stopped the locals becoming skilled musicians. The four shepherds who perform Junk Funk create drum kits from oil drums and scrap metal, guitars and violins from smaller oil cans and broom handles, augmented by stomping gumboots, birdlike whistles and vocal harmonies.
This is an uplifting, infectious performance delivered by natural showmen. Their musical talent is in no doubt, but their rapport with the audience is no less impressive. They are not above clowning, as demonstrated by the donning of comedy wigs and their audience interaction. This is the kind of show where you will be expected, at the least, to clap and sing along, and those accessible from the aisles may find themselves pulled up to dance onstage, so the timid should choose their seating with caution. The performers work so hard to keep the audience entertained, however, that it would seem churlish to refuse to put in a little effort in return.