Back for another year, this constantly changing but always sold out morning farce gives the early riser an hour of fun plus a free coffee/tea and croissant. The show this year is based on that traditional comedy, King Lear and runs for just under an hour.
We start the performance with an episode of Who Wants to be a Million-heir, a number from Britain’s Got Valiant, segue into a medley of Bonnie Tyler numbers (lyrics altered to fit the text), a segment from Jeremy Kyle trying to reconcile the king and his daughters, some Gok Wan fashion tips for what the modern madman is wearing, a soupcon of Big Brother in the diary room, a slice of a David Attenborough documentary and nibbles from every other reality/lifestyle show you can think of, all jammed between the occasional proper bits of Shakespearian dialogue.
The cast are all excellent in their quick changes, swapping characters and singing their songs, but the star is the avuncular King who reminded me of Australian actor Bruce Spence (Mad Max II). The audience, ranging from 5 to 90, were all having a very good time and the show just whizzed by. There are a few points where there are appalling puns and some of the reality TV bits are almost too close to reality, but for the perfect way to wake up, it’s hard to beat this long-running and very funny show.
Visit the Edinburgh Fringe website for booking details