James Wilson-Taylor: Ginger is the New Black

Oppression comes in many forms, you'll be well aware. For James Wilson-Taylor, the particular type of abuse to which he's subjected—hair-based bigotry and general anti-ginger sentiment—causes him such distress that he's produced a full hour of musical comedy in cathartic response.

Beginning with a parody of Ed Sheeran that's driven more by jealousy than satirical intent, Wilson-Taylor sings and strums his way through a show that rarely deviates from the "redheads are bullied" line of thought.

Much of his act is stuff you've heard before (do we really need MORE jokes about Katie Hopkins? She's an easy target and now a facet of lazy comic shorthand), and millennials in particular will find they've seen it all on internet memes. The music isn't one-note (he's a talented singer and a dab hand on the ukelele), but too often the material is. Still, if the Fringe allows him to bring his stigma-quashing routine to a broader, older platform, then so be it. It's all performed ably enough to justify the triteness. 

The fun comes from his charisma and commitment, though, never relenting in his tongue-in-cheek fight for the Mick Hucknalls and Ron Weasleys of this world. There are singalong segments and a good variety of musical genres, if not topics of discussion. Only time will tell regarding the success of his PR campaign to rebrand perceptions of the ginger gene, but with the show itself he's certainly done his own reputation no harm.