ReviewRevueScotland

ED FRINGE: Bette Midler & Me: theSpace @ Symposium Hal, Edinburgh

Reviewer: Anna Ambelez

Writer: Chris Burgess

A young musical theatre graduate, Billy Kerr, comes on stage and gives a big introduction to the star of the show, Sue Kelvin. One of Midler’s most famous songs, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy opens the show, great opening; two good singers, and a fantastic story to tell, what could go wrong? Midler said “When I’m on stage it’s a party”, so is this one?

As a young, ungainly, overweight, unattractive poor Jewish girl, Kelvin desperately wanted to achieve something in life. She learnt of Midler’s success, identified with her and immediately became her lifelong fan. Her full realisation came in 1981, when a teacher at Drama school, said after a performance “You look like Bette Midler”. Kelvin felt like “A dying plant that had been watered”. She has become a West End Diva in her own right, starring in shows such as Oliver, Les Miserables, Fiddler on The Roof and Wicked. Midler’s life inspired her to write this tribute show.

What a story, what a life, a positive plethora of material. There is so much to cover,14 studio albums, film career, Broadway roles, charity work, comedian; talking about a snow storm, she said, “ We were told to expect five inches but we got nine, I wish I could say the same about my sex life!”. Midler’s life is over the top, big, bold and out there, so is this show but in overload. It is impossible to cover all this in 50 minutes and put your own story in as well, so you have to be selective.­ Great variety is added by Kelvin’s personal stories, adding light to the show and connecting with the audience.

In a small space with not very good acoustics, on occasions the volume of the music killed the good singing. Considering the marvellous material of the two women’s lives, why take valuable time to perform a puppet show, explaining the story of the 1988 film ‘Beaches’. While the performance is amusing the audience probably go to see what the title of the show says, Bette Midler and Me, they would be just as happy not to see valuable time taken up with puppetry, more Bette and Sue please… Sometimes less is more.

Runs until 27 August 2022

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More Sue Please!

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The Reviews Hub - Scotland

The Scotland team is under the editorship of Lauren Humphreys. The Reviews Hub was set up in 2007. We aim to review all professional types of theatre, whether that be Commercial, Repertory or Fringe as well as Comedy, Music, Gigs etc.

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