Lorna Rose Treen brings a must-see spectacle to the Edinburgh Fringe this year, attempting to be “The Death of Theatre” following the Sun’s proclamation that she was the “Death of Comedy” in 2023. And she has nailed it – this show is indeed the death of theatre, and the start of something even better.
Lorna Rose Treen: 24 Hour Diner People was a weird, wacky, and brilliant spectacle. Some people are simply made to be comedians, and Lorna is without a doubt one of these people. Somehow, despite multiple characters, storylines, and costume changes, she felt like a friend by the time the show drew to a close. If you see any show this Fringe, make it this one – if you move fast enough to pick up a ticket!
A Joyous Celebration of Comedy
I have never had so much fun at a comedy show. Having been (slightly reluctantly) sat in the front row, I found myself failing to finish catchphrases and blowing up inflatable boobs with a tube. The performance is dripping with a joyous celebration of comedy, a category of its own, unique in silliness and ingenuity.
Lorna introduces the show as the waitress of the diner, dressed in a wonderfully bright and bubbly dress (made by her sister, who absolutely nailed it…inflatable boobs and all). However, we quickly learn about the clientele of the diner – all wonderfully strange women who powerfully take centre stage with their fabulous stories and…unique mannerisms.
It would be wrong to say that the costume changes were graceful, but they certainly had style. The stage welcomes the stories of a curiously proportioned trucker, a creatively disguised spy, a reluctant thief, and a rather sexually disturbed teenager – all portrayed convincingly by Lorna in a fantastic array of outfits, hats, tabletops, and dental instruments. It felt very refreshing to witness centre stage women being weird, strange, and sort of gross – the characters incorporated true womanhood (crime, strange snacking, deranged), rather than the fake parodies that we are subjected to in the age of social media.
The audience interaction was completely effortless (except for me, who failed miserably when called upon), with members of the ‘town’ being summoned to read lines, dance, and hold guns to the bad guys. It’s silly. It’s outrageously fun. I want to go again, like really badly. I laughed so much for the whole 60 minutes that I had to plug my nose in order to successfully inflate Lorna’s left boob.
Hazards of the show include: flying teeth, choking on dollar bills, flying spit, and strangulation by umbilical cord. I’m not exaggerating. The weird thing is, I wanted to be hit by the flying teeth. What spell of comedic genius had she cast on us?
Lorna Rose Treen has written a performance that will go down in history as one of the most creative, daftly brilliant, stupidly clever shows of the Edinburgh Fringe. All I can say is: thank you for spitting at me.
Lorna Rose Treen: 24 Hour Diner People: The Where, When, and How
Lorna Rose Treen: 24 Hour Diner People is running from 30 July – 24 August (not 12) at 6.20 pm, at Beneath, Pleasance Courtyard. You can try and get yourself some (much sought-after) tickets here.
Enjoyed this review? You can read more of Brig’s growing collection of Edinburgh Fringe reviews here.
Featured Image Credit: Will Hearle Photo