Fest's Edinburgh 2019 Round-Up: Best of Cabaret/Variety

The best cabaret and variety shows we saw this year

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Bernie Dieter
Photo by Ayesha Hussian
Published 23 Aug 2019

Little Death Club

Bernie Dieter and her family of misfits return for another year of defiant, debauched kabarett.

What we said: "There’s a punk attitude to the evening, kabarett in its spirit. It’s also not afraid to be tender, with an emotional duet between Dieter and Sargent that brings a tear to any dry eye."

Aaron Crow: FearLess

Danger act Aaron Crow relentlessly piles one risky stunt on top of another.

What we said: "Every aspect of FearLess heightens its mystery, from the uneasy silences to the stereotypical music and Edgar Allan Poe-inspired projection imagery. But this show that is more than merely dramatic – it has dramaturgy."

Help! I think I Might Be Fabulous!

After winning Fringe awards around the world, Alfie Ordinary makes his Edinburgh debut with a camp, queer coming-of-age story.

What we said: "An hour of songs, puppetry, glitter and comedy, he's happy to show you why he is so fabulous. It doesn't take long for the crowd to warm to Alfie."

Christina Bianco: First Impressions

An hour jam-packed with impressions and musical mash-ups.

What we said: "Bianco is an effortless performer, as accomplished a technical singer as she is an impressionist. She races through impression after impression, each immediately recognisable and without a dud amongst them."