Men, take heed for Jayde Adams has spoken. You would be well advised, whatever your gender, to take notice of Jayde’s messianic wisdom, for this is a woman who really walks her talk.
This is not a man-hating/shaming sort of show, but one that celebrates how to have a grown-up relationship with yourself before you can have one with somebody else. It’s about love, loss, life, and death, the full extent of which you might not appreciate until you’ve processed the content a day or so later.
Throughout the show, Jayde holds court with her trademark frankness and style. There is nothing coincidental about the angelic white outfit or the current glory of joining the cast of Strictly in which she basks. Going on the BBC’s flagship programme fulfills a lifelong ambition and I’m confident that Jayde won’t inhabit the ‘dark horse’ role that the public will inevitably cast her in. I can’t wait to see her couple’s choice if the sad clown mime sequence in her show is anything to go by.
Jayde is no stranger to a competitive environment. She won the coveted Funny Women Stage Award in 2014 and has always exhibited an incredible talent that combines her high-status comedy persona with song, mime, and more. She sings, AND she dances, so Strictly fans: strap in.
I’ve seen her grow from strength to strength, never giving up on the big dream one of which she is about to realise. She’s living this as much for her late sister, who was her best friend and the real inspiration for this show. Saving men is a mere side-hustle.
Given that Jayde was last seen hiding behind a Serious Black Jumper, I love this complete ‘rebrand’. The angelic grand entrance, the comic mime, and the honest heart-breaking denouement. While the glitter and the glitz come across effortlessly, it’s the real emotional highs and lows that stick in the mind. Great direction and a strong narrative is exactly what makes a memorable Edinburgh show.
The room was hot and full but Jayde had everybody’s attention from beginning to end – we were swept out into the Pleasance Courtyard in a glorious sweaty fug all the richer for the experience. As for the men being saved? No chance!
★★★★★
Jayde Adams: Men, I Can Save You is at the Pleasance Courtyard, Cabaret Bar at 20:20 until 28th August. For tickets visit EdFringe.com.
