The MCA promotes five acts in one evening with the intention of increasing their exposure in a lively environment, with a healthy sense of competition to aid the fun. The show is well established and the turnout was impressive; a near sell out.
The performances seemed well ordered and headline slots still hold the weight they should. Frisky and Mannish were the shining stars of the show, cruising through a polished set which makes chicken feed out of pop’s biggest divas. Taking a fresh look at parody, the twosome ‘sang songs as they should be sung’, demonstrating the creepier side of Adele’s Someone Like You with tremendous effect.
Adam Kay’s Bum Notes, under the guise of Amateur Transplants was a riot. The biggest surprise of the evening was when an unassuming Kay and accompanying keys performed a stripped back selection of popular anthems, changing the odd word here and there to outrageous acclaim. His dry personality would make him perfect dinner party fodder; his personality complements his controversial lyricism with perfection.
Three young guys make up Fair and Square, who were adorable additions to the line-up, youthful and charming with some serious funny bones dished out between them. It was ‘and’ who got the most laughs, messing about between fair and square who sing and play guitars whilst ‘and’ mocked their every move. It was a fun production but I’m unsure if it would be sustainable over the course of an hour.
The other two were more forgettable, but they were up agains three fantastic performers who had the natural ability to fill such a large room. Thomas Nellstrop would thrive in a more intimate space with his more interactive style: the requests he made of audience fell short when nobody past the first few rows could properly hear him.
Bob & Jim had a cockney twist in their vocal range and the guitar-led material was largely amusing, but not quite enough in the context of this show. Their punchlines were not big enough, their presence not commanding of attention.
Frisky and Mannish and Adam Kay were exceptional entertainment and are both already achieving well outside the confines of this show. No wonder, as both have classic comedic styles and contemporary means of production, variants of musical comedy which will find no better home than at the Fringe.
