Tragic clown, drag artist and trash crafter Cabbage the Clown invites you into a world of wonder, romance and trash in their debut hour Cabbage the Clown: Cinemadrome. Read on to hear what we thought of the show.
The premise of the show is: a day in the life of Cabbage the Clown (performed by Eliza Nelso @elizanelso), in their job at a Cinema, where they are ordered around; to man the check-in desk, to clean the rooms, to sell food and drink, to pick up trash. Throughout all the toil, Cabbage steals moments to fantasise about life, love interests, a future happy romantic ending, emulating the ones in the movies. But has immersion in movies and a job at the cinema deluded them? Is this life in reach, or will Cabbage get stuck picking up trash in the Cinemadrome hamsterwheel forever?
Their witty use of some impressive props – an enormous trash cloak (topped with a crown made of cabbage), a plastic bag costume, and a used tampon – were all unique, imaginative and playful, matching Cabbage’s character, who you warm to immediately. One of my favourite moments of the show is Cabbage as the Giant Sucky Cup (you sort’ve have to see it), delighting us with a New York style cabaret song about never being finished. The number shows off their talent; as a comic, singer and costume crafter. But it’s worth noting that, I am an absolute sucker for a musical number (if you pardon the pun).
There’s so many elements to this show, that you feel as though Cabbage has crawled into every one of your senses – sound bites, sculpture, media clips, drag, mime, dance and song. The only sense without stimulation was smell – which, in fairness, was probably a wise decision.
But there’s tact in the excess. Cabbage maximises, and by that I mean they take an unremarkable item or prop in the show, and, by giving it energy and attention, turns it into something meaningful. Everything is used thoroughly and without waste – each morsel of trash, projected cinema-style clip, mop or shirt prop, or moment of darkness with a lone spotlight, was carefully choreographed, telling its own individual story, that added texture and nuance to the overall show.
Cheekily imaginative, chaotically unique and resourceful in its excess, Cabbage the Clown: Cinemadrome is a beautifully crafted show that will have you pondering where the beauty lies in life; simply in the more we romanticise it, just like in the movies, or is this just a fantasy in the rat race of working life?
You can catch Cabbage the Clown: Cinemadrome at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Weds-Sun 30 July-24 Aug @ 9:45 PM, Buttercup, Underbelly George Square. You can grab a ticket here.
