Paul T Davies reviews Virgin now playing at the Space at Surgeon's Hall at Edinburgh Fringe.
Virgin
Venue: the Space at Surgeon's Hall.
18 August 2018
4 Stars
Simon David needs a record deal, and his unique selling point is that he is a virgin. Not the only young man to be inspired by Beyonce on this year's Fringe, he dons a leotard and presents a hilarious hour as he showcases original songs with a mixture of stand up. His material is his limited experience with girls and men.
Even now I wish I had his confidence, he is sassy, likeable, improvised brilliantly with the audience and has the singing ability to go a long way. Co-written with Chris Larner, there is just the right amount of self deprecation and dazzle, and the songs are fantastic. In particular there is a mighty fine ballad when he accompanies himself on the accordion, and Simon also plays saxophone and keyboards. This is not a one man show, however, as he is backed by a terrific band.
It could have been quite a naff show and idea, but this is a hugely enjoyable show that has the right amount of cheek and cuteness. It deserves to play to packed houses!
BOOK NOW FOR VIRGIN
Paul is a playwright, director, actor, academic, (he has a PhD from the University of East Anglia), teacher and theatre reviewer! His plays include Living with Luke, (UK tour 2016), Play Something, (Edinburgh Festival Fringe/Drayton Arms Theatre, London 2018), , (2019), and now The Miner’s Crow, which won the inaugural Artist’s Pick of the Fringe Award at the first ever Colchester Fringe Festival 2021. In lockdown 2020 he created the audio series Isolation Alan, available on Youtube, and performed online in the Voice Box Festival. He is the founder member of Stage Write, a Colchester based theatre company, and his acting roles include Rupert in How We Love by Annette Brook, first performed at the Vaults Festival 2020 and revived at the Arcola and at Theatre Peckham in 2021. Follow: @stagewrite_
Stay in the spotlight
Get the latest theatre news, reviews and exclusive offers straight to your inbox.
