hairline.org.uk » The Bongo Club http://hairline.org.uk Fri, 26 Aug 2011 12:22:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 The Bongo Club Cabaret http://hairline.org.uk/2010/08/23/the-bongo-club-cabaret/ http://hairline.org.uk/2010/08/23/the-bongo-club-cabaret/#comments Mon, 23 Aug 2010 09:00:45 +0000 Benn Beaton http://hairline.org.uk/?p=1982 The bongo club emerges once more to offer its stage the most anarchic and outrageous acts to grace the alleys of the fringe. Billing itself as a remedy to the commercialisation of the Edinburgh fringe the bongo club seeks to be a ‘best of’ show for the free fringe promoting more avante-garde performances and acts still making their mark on the festival scene.
Offering an unusual mix of musical revues, scatological poetry and lethargic singer songwriters the show first seems a little down beat for a cabaret revue. While the bongo cabaret seeks to proclaim art as wonderful provocative and beautiful there is little to back this up in the first half.
It is lucky that the second half is a marked improvement and it is a good thing that they have the dashing Dusty Limits as compare. Without the compares casual seductiveness and attention to the audience there would be a very real temptation to make for the door and miss some truly amazing acts. The later acts rescue the show adding much needed satire and showcasing the upbeat pessimism that is seen in all good cabaret. The second half offers exceptionally skilled burlesque and tremendous music hall talent culminating in spectacular finale that find you thoroughly entertained.
But if there was a real star to the Bongo Club Cabaret it was certainly Dusty Limits. His songs tickled even the most jaded sense of humour with their irreverent lyrics and his charisma kept the show progressing despite audience misgivings.

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