EDINBURGH 2019: Review: SEX SHELLS, Underbelly Cowgate

The best costumes at the Fringe, glorious rewrites of songs you wish you'd been clever enough to think of, and a glittery, scantily clad man lying across your lap. What a Wednesday!

Doctor LeStrange - and his insane set of pipes - Calum Mac and That Woman Rosie have found kindred spirits in each other. From Yummy Mummy rewritten Disney classics, to an absolute banger where God confesses he wrote Leviticus so He doesn't have to share men - this is some clever, queertastic cabaret.

The comedy sketches that intersperse the music do need work though, particularly in the way of titles. Sex Shells' songs are so strong that Mac and LeStrange's Christina Aguilera-style moo-off doesn't quite cut it in comparison, and actually the show doesn't need anything else.

It's clear that they're looking to balance the piece, but there's plenty of light and shade that comes from the different genres of music. There should be more anthems that are as inventive as being an ally to cis het white men, and less old lady voices making anti/auntie puns.

There's also a hell of a lot of drug references going on here. Doing coke on an ironing board, k-holes - it just seems to cheapen it a little bit. This cabaret is fabulous, glitzy and outrageous enough as it is; please, kids, put the drugs away.

Sex Shells say they serve their cabaret with a "big bag of WTF", and really I don't think there's a better way to describe their completely mad and super-smart show.

https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/sex-shells

Photo Credit: Peanut Factory Studio

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