Edinburgh Fringe 2010

Frisky And Mannish – The College Years

Frisky And Mannish

Venue: Underbelly

Low Down

It really shouldn’t work – not more than once, anyway, and certainly not for a sophomore effort. Taking different types of music and fusing them together feels like it should be a single, easily tired joke – particularly since a certain TV show made a killing from so-called ‘mash-up’s. That it doesn’t fail is entirely down to the smart intelligence of the performers, their lack of complacence (even the ‘easy’ jokes are smart), and their obvious and genuine love for the genre and performers they’re spoofing.

Review

Rattling through as many songs and styles of music as an ipod shuffle with an attention deficit disorder, this pair of supremely talented performers have set up the idea of teaching their audiences about the songs they play, and the artists who have made them famous. This started out in their ‘School Of Pop’, and continues to great effect with the ‘College Years’ – complete with a cute gag as to why this year’s show is so-named.

As this is something of a graduation – for the audiences as well as the duo themselves – there was always the risk that some might be left behind by the in-jokes, but this really is an education. And, as far as in-jokes go, it’s always a revelation (and something of a relief) to discover that you are by no means the only person in the room to recognise the tune to Paula Abdul’s ‘Opposites Attract’.

Frisky And Mannish own the room, and have the attitude and verve that convince you that they’re not, in fact, performing to a reasonably small venue in Scotland, but are in fact, about to open their show with the hallowed words ‘Hello, Wembley!’. Well. Give it time ..

Published August 7, 2010 by AA

Show Website

http://www.friskyandmannish.co.uk/Frisky_and_Mannish/Frisky_and_Mannish.html

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