One of the highlights of our Edinburgh Fringe was the news that one of our favourite acts from overseas, the marvellous, almost-octogenarian Lynn Ruth Miller, had won the second annual TO&ST Edinburgh Cabaret Award, run by Time Out and the Soho Theatre, with her show ‘Granny’s Gone Wild’. The show ran at C Nova from 31st July to 26th August.
The Soho Theatre website describes Lynn Ruth as ‘An old-school entertainer, originally from Ohio, who weaves colourful anecdotes, groan inducing gags, bawdy sing-a-longs and shrewd observations.’ She was unanimously chosen by the judges to win the Fringe’s only prize created to recognise cabaret work. ‘The show stood out as a truly subversive show with a unique voice and perspective’.
Following the inclusion of cabaret as a separate section at the Fringe in 2011 this is the only award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe purely for cabaret shows. The TO&ST Award celebrates quality and brilliance in cabaret, with the award given to the show the judges believe is the best cabaret show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Lynn Ruth Miller was presented with her award on Wednesday 21st August by the judges who included Time Out cabaret editor, Ben Walters; Soho Theatre comedy and cabaret producer, Steve Lock; Frodo McDaniel, artistic director of the Glasgow Cabaret Festival; Roundhouse Circus producer, Leila Jones; Kate Copstick of The Scotsman, and freelance journalist Claire Smith.
Time Out’s Ben Walters said of Lynn Ruth’s win: “The wonderful aspect of Miller’s set is that she utterly embraces her age, mining the experience of getting older for material on everything from sex and drugs to failing bodies and seizing the day, without the slightest shred of sentimentality or solemnity – and in terms of demanding and rewarding an audience’s conversational engagement, she could write the book.”
We couldn’t agree more and have absolutely loved having Lynn Ruth in our Funny Women line-ups this year. We’re busy TO&ST-ing her success and look forward to her return to the UK next February.
Before she heads off stateside, you can catch Lynn Ruth in her award-winning show 'Granny's Gone Wild' at the Leicester Square Theatre, in central London at 9.00pm Monday 2nd September. Tickets are sure to be in short supply so BOOK NOW!
