ER at the Fringe: Cabaret Whore Encore

A sequel to last year’s Free Fringe hit Cabaret Whore, Sarah-Louise Young’s newest musical comedy romp finds her wit as well-lubricated as her vocal chords. This time around she plays four characters, three of them new, all sharing a spot-on repertoire of politically-incorrect commentary sung to hilarious show-tune pastiches.

Two of the characters are charismatic enough to have their own shows. Returning from Young’s previous show, misunderstood French singer La Poule Plombée rants on, knife in hand, about the Parisian demimonde, the English language’s lack of poetry and an unjust world that still gives more work to her former partner Edith Piaf, despite her being dead. Her manic gaze and jumpy ticks make for a comically enthralling performance with an edgy sense of despair, though it may just be the knife.

But Cabaret Whore Encore’s greatest triumph is Kasha, the Eastern European performance artist who picked up her broken English while teaching “stabby childrens” in London state schools. Starting with a monotonic Klaus Nomi-esque number that screams with 80s avant-garde pretension, the immigrant proceeds to a very physical rendition of her cheesy techno entry for the Eurovision contest before elaborating on her deep relationship with her ukulele, in an uproarious self-parodying invective at the cabaret format itself. Brimming with ethnic humour and political jokes, Kasha’s routine alone is worth the ticket price. Or would be, if the show weren’t in the Free Fringe.

Young’s other two guises, however, do not fare as well by comparison. One of them, a washed-up Las Vegas “diva of a certain age,” fails to deploy the honourable tradition of showbiz parody to a full comic effect, climaxing with an unremarkable song about her many drug addictions. The other, an Australian religious fanatic, has little to offer beyond repressed sexuality, sinner envy and Billy Graham jokes.

While the material could use some polishing on its weaker bits, Cabaret Whore Encore does not disappoint, delivering a solid hour of clever comedy, catchy tunes and acid parody. Keep an eye open for the ever touring Ms. Young. There’s no telling whether her next show will be a third instalment of the Cabaret Whore franchise, but one can always hope.

Cabaret Whore Encore. Written and performed by Sarah-Louise Young. Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, Edinburgh. 1-15, 17-22, 24-29 August, 18:15. Free. www.millionthmuse.com