I like a bit of heart-on-sleeve talk and the Fringe is a good place to experiment with how far you can take it. Cally Beaton does a very good job in this honest, touching and brave show about coming out – not just about her sexuality, although this is explored, but about being older, managing the menopause, single parenthood and autism.
Cally cleverly unpicks the process of her self-discovery with the help of a flip chart and audience interaction. After a lifetime in business she knows how to rock both of these and even manages to integrate the distraction of three rather drunk late arrivals into her show. Time is short at the Fringe and it’s very easy to get sidelined by people who think they should be on stage rather than you.
This is a very personal show and Cally sets out to reveal the fragility expressed in the title against the pressure to be all things to her family, colleagues and the outside world. She talks with pride about managing her son’s Aspergers and muses on the onset of menopause and wearing a testosterone patch. Clearly brave and independent Cally recognises that it’s also okay to have a cry and give her Superwoman avatar the night off.
I saw Cally a year ago in the same venue with 30 minutes of material. This is a big step up in terms of content, some of which I have seen before, but I was happy to see this reworked in the context of a new longer show. Analytical, incisive and sassy – there’s clearly a lot more in store for Cally and I can’t wait to see where she goes next.
★★★★
Cally Beaton: Super Cally Fragile Lipstick is at the Grassmarket Community Project at 13:25 until 20th August and then Just the Tonic at the Caves 10:40 from 22nd to 25th August. For tickets and more information click here!