If you’re sick of traditional stand-up comedies and derivative historical theatre shows at the Fringe this year, then might I suggest Bebe Cave’s Swoon as a pallet cleanser?
A wonderful one-woman show, based on a fictional sister of 19th century muse Elizabeth Siddal, Bebe delves into countless gender dynamics and the very nature of art in a production that manages to both be hilarious and deeply insightful.
There’s a great risk in attempting to categorise and describe Swoon as a piece. If you call it a historical comedy you risk downplaying its modern satire but if you call it contemporary you end up downplaying its uniqueness. If you call it thought-provoking you risk making it sound self-serious but if you call it silly you completely ignore the complex themes on display. In truth, Bebe Cave’s Swoon is all of these things and a whole lot more contained within a single hour, in a show stunningly put on by a single actress. It’s a refreshingly unique stage show that shows a mastery of the one-person format Bebe has perfected over the years and brings one of the most excitingly rising comedic talents into a dazzling spotlight.
Literally, the show is a parody of the formation of the pre-Raphaelite brotherhood. More generally, it explores themes of femineity, modernity and artistry. It’s a tale of both Victorian muses and the modern woman, in their quest to seek recognition for who they actually are. Despite the serious theming, Swoon is also outrageously funny which is exactly why it finds itself able to tackle some of the most contentious issues in our society today. Bebe simply waltzes into the mire of the modern gender wars and leaves with no holds barred. Packaged as this exciting and eccentric comedy, Bebe is able to explore these complexities in a way many others could not. It’s exactly that that allows Swoon to be both challenging and incredibly entertaining.
The thing I absolutely cannot highlight enough is how unbelievably funny the show is. Humour pours out of every eave of the performance, from the pre-written lines to those improvised on the spot and from the elaborate set-ups to the bits that go wrong. Bebe’s comedy truly is at home on the stage and she has that essential force of personality a comedian needs, while at the same time doing it in such a one-of-a-kind format. It all comes together to work absolutely perfectly in a rambunctious comedy unlike anything you’ve ever seen. I emphatically recommend that anyone even remotely interested in art, history or comedy should watch Swoon.
Everything about the aesthetics and stage-design here is simple but incredibly effective. Props are rudimentary but serve their purpose and, importantly, they keep the focus on the real star of the show: Bebe Cave herself. Swoon would not be possible without Bebe’s performance, which may seem ridiculously self-evident but is the only way to describe how truly unique her performance is here. It’s unbelievably impressive how she can seemingly effortlessly glide between profound monologues, fourth-wall breaks and raunchy humour. The result is a perfect chaos, coming from a one-person show done right. Where you can see both the performer and the characters she plays in a way that doesn’t demand a ludicrous suspension of belief or find itself entirely lost in the mere act of it being performed. Bebe can quickly improvise when something goes wrong and, seconds later, be right on track to continue the show.
You can catch Swoon at the Jack dome at the Pleasance dome. Most of Bebe’s run has sold out but additional dates have been added on the 25th, 27th and 28th of August. If you can’t catch those shows, I suspect the show will tour elsewhere after its fringe run. And if it isn’t, it definitely should.
If you liked this piece, more Brig reviews of the Edinburgh fringe are available here
Featured Image Credit: Bebe Cave
2nd year History and Journalism Student
Politics Editor and Head of Podcasting
Also writes on Substack @jamesmcintyre609599
