Sunday 30 August 2009

Fringe Review - Lady Bug Warrior #edfringe

Spaces @ Royal College of Surgeons 20:05 (Last show was last night)

Vicki Ferentinos is the Lady Bug Warrior, so big is her personality that our paths kept crossing even from a distance for much of this fringe, and I did feel somewhat guilty for not turning up to see her show. However, when Graeme Sharpe put out a call on Twitter for anyone to turn up for her last night I joined him, Adam Sawers and Andrew Gourley of the cast of Slice of Saturday Night. They turned up dressed as a Lady Bug tribute act, much to Vicki's delight (it was also their fourth time seeing the show).

The premise of the show is how she unearthed her inner superhero through a quirky, witty look at the characters that have made up, or influenced her life. The costume changes are merely an aide memoire that this is someone different in her monologue or observations about life, impoliteness and her failings as an Italian American from New Jersey, but told though her new found philosophy of telling the truth to herself as a Lady Bug Warrior.

My sides never stopped splitting as noted by Mr Sharpe, not for the first time this Fringe, I have a big laugh. It wasn't just the things she said but the way she said them and the hour just flew by. It wasn't so much a sprinkling of one liners but a flowing of observational humour and some short vignettes thrown into the mix. The set was minimalistic and wanted to get a starring role when it wobbled on the last night, but that was all part of the charm.

It was the sort of show you wouldn't know just how it would work from the description, even from Vicki doing her own flyering, but when you got into that room you saw just how well it did work.

Before we knew it us last nighters were given a special addition a hastily put together ode to Scotland. Which while telling the stereotypical stuff done by Vicki was delivered superbly and fresh.

Vicki will be flying home, not a favourite pastime, shortly having had a great time over here in Edinburgh, even with our weather this month. She certainly has lightened up a large number of peoples' day by her presence.

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