SOAP THE SHOW

SOAP

THE SHOW

The Vagabond

Garden of Unearthly Delights

Times change 5pm - 11:45 (check guide) til Mar 18th

It's fringe time so there better be a show with dance, music, buff bendy people, rope work, acrobats, water and a bathtub in it or I'm writing a letter of complaint. Oh wait! Soap - The Show to the rescue.

That was only meant to be half a joke by the way. La Clique certainly established the framework of a show that combines all of the above elements into a sure fire Fringe mega-hit the last few years. With sold-out runs and extra shows being added at all hours to meet the demand. Soap is very likely to replicate La Cliques success if the opening weekend shows are anything to go by.

The stage has seven bathtubs on risers. An opera singer emerges from the top bath and start to sing, then Crazy by Gnarls Barkley kicks in and the opera singer merges with it seamlessly. Each bath has an impossibly buff member of the cast hidden in it and there is some impressive bath dancing right from the start. For the next seventy minutes each set piece is more impressive than it's predecessor. The entire cast is very sexy. Super shirtless buff men, scantily clad and gorgeous women all bending and contorting into impossible shapes and balancing in impossible angles. They dance against, in, on top of and above their various bath tubs with grace, beauty, skill, strength and humour. There is trapeze work, juggling, ballet style movement and vaudevillian comedy With the recurring gag of singing Bobby Darins Splish Splash in different operatic styles wearing a tiny bit thin after a while, there were other treats including a great take on Screamin' Jay Hawkins hit I Put A Spell on You.

The finale is spectacular (and as wet as you might expect) and my suggestion is if you are planning to attend, you better book early.

Ian Bell