Edinburgh Fringe 2011
Alzheimer’s the Musical : A Night to Remember
Prospect Productions
Venue:
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
Three glamour-less Grannies take us on a trip down memory lane. Only they’ve forgotten the satnav so we end up veering all over the place in this hour of monologues, sketches, songs and pure silliness.
Review
There’s something about these three ageing Australian swingers that rings a bell, only I can’t quite place it. Golden grannies? No, not that. Maybe it’s the antipodean equivalent of ‘The Golden Girls’, only with a lot more smut. That’s the problem with getting old, the memory just isn’t, just isn’t…..now what have I just been to review?
This hour long production has been doing the rounds down under for a few years now but the glamour grans have spotted that the market over here in Edinburgh for jokes about growing old and for old jokes about those getting to that forgetful period of their lives and are packing them in at the Gilded Balloon for their unique take on the art of ageing gracelessly.
There is a loose theme concerning the travails of the ageing process but it’s really no more than a excuse to link the monologues, sketches and songs that populate the piece. There are some nice Laurel and Hardy type routines working the comedy of miscommunication and some amusing alternative lyrics to popular hits, including “Take Your Medication With Me” to the tune of “The Loco-Motion”, an iconic 1960’s hit.
There’s also a touch of the Dame Edna’s in some of the routines, especially when it comes to audience interaction as members of the audience are gently embarrassed, the innuendo and double entendre flowing like amber nectar. Growing old does have its more humorous moments – we all do silly things and we all let silly things frustrate us – but sometimes it’s just best to laugh and accept that being forgetful and confused is part of the vicissitudes of life, which is essentially the message from the evening.
It’s a cheerful and cheeky piece of theatre, full of gags that you can see about five minutes before they arrive but it’s none the worse for that. Parts of it are just plain silly as well, like the video set to the song of “Leader of the Pack” involving leather clad riders of mobility scooters and the ‘Chit-Chat and Chuckle Club’ skit on the birds and the bees that plays beautifully to the apparent innocence of the elderly.
So if it’s an hour of earthy Aussie humour from a trio of old swingers you’re after, this could be your kind of show. Just remember to put your teeth in before you venture out and don’t forget that the last bus goes ten minutes after the show ends, dear.
