REVIEW: Something to Take Off the Edge at Museum of Comedy and other venues 1 – 27 August
‘a wonderful mix of comedy, spoken word and well-drawn characters’ ★★★★
Errol McGlashan skilfully depicts a world within Her Majesty’s prison in the 1980s. With the energy of at least four actors, using humour and sparky dialogue Errol brought the scenes to life. His embodiment of the different characters enabled the audience to experience the range of individuals he came across.
This was a wonderful mix of comedy, spoken word and well-drawn characters. The beautifully descriptive language helped us to see, feel, and smell some of the experiences of an inmate in prison. Errol brought humour to the harrowing events portrayed in the piece making them easier to digest.
It was an honest portrayal of the survival of the fiercest in a brutal hierarchy of a prison system and the different ways inmates cope with and function within this harsh environment.
Errol portrayed relationships formed within a long-term sentence exposing beautiful intimacy and the strength drawn from those bonds. The audience was shown how and why there is a need to keep a connection to the outside world and the difficulties that arise with those connections over time. These bonds can aid survival within long term isolation from society but also in some cases can be detrimental to an inmate as demonstrated viscerally by Errol. The inspiration Ezra, the main character, received from literature was a joy to watch. The whole piece was sprinkled with skilful spoken word and well-chosen extracts of Shakespeare. We witnessed how they became part of something to take the edge off.
SOMETHING TO TAKE OFF THE EDGE
Written and performed By Errol McGlashan
Camden Fringe Festival - 1st to -27th August
Various venues
Box Office https://camdenfringe.com/events/something-to-take-off-the-edge/
Errol McGlashan’s website: www.EdgeInsider.co.uk
The Queer Comedy Club: 18 August 9.30pm, 19 August 9.30pm, 27 August 8.30pm
The Hope Theatre: 24 August 7pm, 25 August 7pm, 26 August 7pm
Reviewed by Paula David
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