How does one describe Betty Grumble? No really, I’m at a loss. I can throw out words like, obscene beauty queen; sex clown; absurdist stripper; ecosexual satirist, but none of them really do justice to her magnificence.
This surreal showgirl could very well split the audience right down the middle so Love and Anger is a very apt title.
What Grumble is, if you really need to pigeon hole her, is a performance artist and what she does is spectacular. From the very beginning of her show she packs in more obscenity than most ‘edgy’ Fringe shows manage in the whole month and she’s just getting warmed up. Over the course of the show, there’s dance, music, props and discussion of the merits (or not) of assassination. Grumble is not afraid to pin her politics to the wall, skewering them with a well-placed heel and she’s entirely unapologetic if you don’t agree with her.
If you attended last year’s Sex Clown Saves The World, then this is essentially more of the same but that’s no bad thing; Grumble has created another orgy of excess but this time it feels a little more structured and poised. You’ll definitely have opinions after this show and, if you’re not sure it’s your thing, it’s worth getting along to take advantage of the pay what you want formula but I’d recommend buying a ticket in advance so you get a seat right in the heart of the action.
This show is definitely not for everyone and you better ask yourself if you’re comfortable with getting involved in a real political discourse through the medium of cabaret. I should add the caveat that this discourse will also involve gratuitous (but perfectly pertinent) nudity and a violent physicality that reveals real heart and thoughtfulness behind what she does. This surreal showgirl could very well split the audience right down the middle so Love and Anger is a very apt title.
