I put off writing this review all day because I had no idea what the hell I’d say for it. Beryl and Clive is certainly a wild ride but one I’m still not sure the destination of, even though I sat through all 50 minutes of it.
Generally speaking, the gist of the show is: an eccentric posh couple are brought together in later life, connected by a love of singing. They enjoy teatime snacks, argue about whether or not the other is tone deaf, and then get engaged. And then comes the simulated cunnilingus. It ends with him wanting to live within his RP accented (spiffing, yes quite, darling) girlfriend as a tenant in her vaginal canal. I almost forgot the cameo of the backstage worker coming out in an ET mask to tidy up with the show very much still going.
If you think that all sounds slightly awkward, imagine how I feel sat next to a child of no more than five or six watching it all unfold, warts and all. For me, it just isn’t funny at the end of the day, though a valiant effort was made by our two lead actors.
The other main issue besides the humour missing the mark, is that it doesn’t feel like a cohesive story. The love of singing never comes to fruition in terms of failure or success, and I’m not sure the relationship enjoys any real development either, despite the ring given about halfway through. It’s a shame but I can’t sugarcoat it.
Beryl & Clive, Sing or Die (Their Musical), theSpaceTriplex, 13:40, until August 17.
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/beryl-clive-sing-or-die-their-musical
Latharna Imlah
