Uber ratings, patisserie and misophonia. What more could you possibly need to host the perfect brunch?
A welcome blessing amongst the bustle of the Fringe's opening weekend
Table Manners with Jessie Ware is a live recording of the hit podcast, starring singer Jessie Ware and her mother extraordinaire, Lennie. With a table creaking under the finest food on offer and a special guest to cross-examine each episode, the podcast is a heart-warming and belly-rumbling foray into the people behind the celebrity.
With three sold-out shows at their Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut, there is a certain level of expectation preceding the hosts and their guest. Where the podcast exceeds, however, is with the down to earth authenticity of Jessie and Lennie. Together they make a formidable duo; effortlessly making the crowd feeling at ease and sustaining an hour’s worth of improvised – and interesting – conversation. Jessie moves in and out of the audience with charm and wit, sharing personal anecdotes and asking for opinions on a variety of culinary issues.
Award-winning comedian Heidi Regan is today’s guest, discussing her Australian childhood and the secret to a good self-saucing pudding. She is a natural entertainer, and soon falls into the charming rhythm of the show. The fact that each Edinburgh guest is revealed once the audience is seated is both a testament to the podcast’s reputation and to the talents of the guest – it must be rather nerve-wracking to walk on stage as a surprise appearance.
Today’s dinner table consists of doughnuts from Edinburgh-based bakery - Twelve Triangles - and Lennie’s savoury cheesecake; although Jessie finds herself amidst a period of fasting and the food takes somewhat of a backseat. Though a Fringe show does posit a certain number of logistical dilemmas, it is a shame to overshadow what is normally the focal point of the podcast. In fact, the entire meal for those on stage consists of a peach Bellini and half a doughnut – not exactly a sales pitch for the upcoming cook book.
Nevertheless, Table Manners with Jessie Ware delivers an intimate catch-up amongst friends – a welcome blessing amongst the bustle of the Fringe’s opening weekend.
