Slap, in gay palare, is make-up; and that's the central theme to this comedy romp set in the make-up trailer of an 80s music video shoot.
Whilst not strictly speaking a musical, it does contain original songs and lyrics by Dafydd James. James also plays the character of Devine - German hair design guru who went to beauty college with Rhian, played by Eirlys Bellin, and Slap tells the story of Devine's creation of the Mullet and how Rhian figures in this. Completing the trio of characters is Maria Hodson, who plays both the ditzy assistant Betty and tutor Mrs Kraowski.
The opening is a Kraftwerk-esque pop video, and since at this stage we're not sure what's going on, energy is lost which is difficult to recover from. But recover they do, and once we get into the pace of the play there's some both funny and clever moments. The cast play with the audience, specifically to take the mickey out of their fashion sense, and this helps to break the ice.
Whilst James' score isn't quite Sondheim, it's still witty and pleasant. James himself occasionally falls back to the valleys as his German accent struggles, and they could potentially make both Devine and Rhian a little more sympathetic at the beginning if we are to fully appreciate the happy ending. But overall it's an enjoyable afternoon show which captures much of the spirit of the Fringe.