Edinburgh Fringe 2019
It’s Miss Hope Springs
Vaudelesque Productions
Genre: Cabaret, Comedy, Musical Theatre
Venue: Assembly Rooms - Bijou: 54 George Street, EH2 2LR
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
“Join comedy cabaret superstar Miss Hope Springs at the piano, presenting original musical numbers from her vintage repertoire of toe-tapping show tunes, finger-snapping pop and heart-rending ballads, interspersed with scandalous stories from her ‘Ritz-to-the-pits’ showbiz life in LA, Paris and… Dungeness!”
Review
When Miss Hope Springs is in the room you know it! She tells entertaining stories through song and anecdotes with flair, self-deprecating humour and delusions of grandeur. A statuesque presence in a black sequined and voluminous faux ostrich feather couture costume, big blonde hairdo and endearing larger than life personality she will charm you and your cares away! Miss Springs has lived a colourful life and she shares…
Of special note, all songs in the show are written and composed by Miss Hope Springs herself aka Ty Jeffries.
Miss Springs sits at her bedazzled glittering piano keyboard in the beautiful Bijou theatre and sings “Girl in a Million” at the beginning of the sixty minute show, this is a heartfelt story song beautifully performed in her deep velvety voice. Warm and edgy, she quickly develops an easy rapport with the audience. She also tells delicious anecdotes about the great and famous she has met in her career in such hotspots as Las Vegas – or near Las Vegas – when living with a relative. For Miss Hope Springs is full of mystery and the opulent days of fame and fortune remain in her memories.
Subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) facial gestures, spontaneous verbal quips and expert timing bring masterful finesse to her performance with depth, humour, sarcasm and irony. For example, when singing that her mother’s advice to her was to “make the most of your assets” she then grits her teeth and her raised eyebrows and her wide eyes speak volumes as the advice gets racier. Miss Springs uses non verbal eye contact to great effect during her performance such as when she lowers her face and looks at the audience with a wry smile that infers what she is really thinking!
Interacting with her audience throughout, she sometimes walks among us and is always ready with a comment, joke – or witty repartee in response to friendly advice, like at the show I attended.
Miss Springs is sensitive to affairs of the heart and in one song she became emotional about an eventful visit to Paris. She loves the luxuries of life, name drops luxe references, and shimmies a bit, even while jauntily playing the piano.
This performer uses physicality with every fiber of her body, during one coquette musical storytelling moment she extends her leg sensually positioned off he piano stool at a sexy angle. Every song ends with a huge graceful wafting flourish of her arm.
Theatricality is integrated into the performance beautifully and together with the original music and witty script, edginess and depth of Miss Springs’ personality, her musicianship and love of what she is doing – all combine to make It’s Miss Hope Springs the best musical comedy cabaret drag show at this festival. The time in her company flies by! Entertaining, funny, visceral and poignant – not only highly recommended but also a Must See Show!
