This red, rude and raunchy show faced a difficult task transforming a university lecture theatre into the cabaret version of hell on earth, but thanks to some inspired acting from the lead characters, the fiery depths became a more attractive proposition.
Satan, who plays the role of conniving compere in the show where rising Fringe stars perform to save their souls, produces a dazzling performance throughout, offering energy, humour and even the odd ukelele performance which captures the hearts (and perhaps souls) of an enthralled audience. His glamorous assistant Miss Mephisto is even more stunning in her Sybil Fawlty-esque role, complete with a quite horrific laugh, which further seduces the crowd into joining the dark side.
Their resident performers, Mr Pustra and Miss Vile-een, offer a well-polished double act which brings the cabaret to life with a surreal bang. The pair, who bear a rather chilling similarity to Hitler and Eva Braun, perform a hilarious and highly talented dance routine with their vile dummy, Resident Kak, before returning to further raise the vulgarity with a cowgirl routine that brings the house down.
This show only truly suffers through the other cabaret acts, who produce only mediocre acts in their desire to get the thumbs up from the audience and escape from the Devils lair. Two performances in particular, from comics Greg Walloch and Scottee, deserve the eternal damnation that they received.
But this should not detract from a highly enthusiastic, marvellously talented and devilishly saucy night of entertainment from the best that Hell had to offer. And the Devil May Drag You Under certainly rocked my boat.
