Tom Clayton
As the lights go down and the music starts, in struts Priscilla to centre stage where she begins a livestream to her beloved followers she affectionately calls her ‘Goats’. Once established as the foremost anti-vegan over 40s influencer, we start to get into the crux of the show: catching the cheese pervert.
After being laughed away by the police, Priscilla takes it upon herself to hunt down and find the pervert herself. This show touches on reconnecting to old friends and family, the purpose of women in society and how things are never a man’s fault when it couldn’t be further from the truth.
The show is a fun romp through the intricacies of small-town life. How there aren’t many people, and the smallest things can get blown massively out of proportion. Priscilla, played by Arleigh Curran, is an engaging and charismatic lead wanting the best for her family and town.
She maintains her head held high despite everyone preventing her from getting any answers. Curran’s performance is playful and fun, which fits the parody side of the play. She works hard at keeping it all together as it’s predominately just her on the stage for the majority. At times this starts to weigh on the character as she tries to keep the pace up, yet too often looks for the extra joke.
José Andrés Bordas plays a variety of supporting roles, from male lovers to former female best friends. Bordas emphasises the characteristics of each character he plays to great effect, drawing laughs every time he appears. A welcome light relief to the often-heavy exposition dialogue that Curran as Priscilla is having to get through. They play off each other well, and the show is certainly more rounded when the two are on stage together.
Another key theme is the lack of care or accountability from the male characters at any stage of Catching a Cheese Pervert while offences continue. Whilst not made entirely clear throughout, Priscilla signposts at the show’s finale that none of the men faced any consequences for their actions. The use of the pageant as a highlighting of the objectification of women also gets a little lost as it occurs during the moment the cheese pervert is outed.
Catching a Cheese Pervert is a fun and silly parody of the real events it’s loosely based around, if at times a little long. There are certainly enough jokes to keep you entertained throughout.
Recommended Drink: A tall glass of milk, but definitely nothing vegan.
You can catch Catching a Cheese Pervert: A Priscilla Patton Mystery at Just The Tonic at Westside Rodeo (The Saloon Bar) at 14:40 (60mins) from August 10-27 (Not 18). Tickets Available at the EdFringe Online Box Office.
Esme Davis
Ellen Leslie
Isobel Jacob
