The Space @ Surgeon’s Hall
Aug 20-24
22:40
The Space @ Surgeon’s Hall is a fantastic venue offering a plethora of diverse shows, from seasoned fringers to a variety of new talent from around the world. Boasting a 200 person capacity courtyard dotted with picnic tables, a festive-lit ambience and a card only bar, it’s the perfect place to get revved up and enjoy some pre-show libations.
But what brought me to this special venue?
Well, it was to see the highlight of the fringe. It takes a special person to deliver a lavish outpouring of charisma that’s tempered by the matronly persona of Martha Stewart, James Cordon and Ina and Jeffrey Garten.
And this special person is none other than Toronto based Tom Hearn, 31, who is making waves at his Edinburgh Fringe debut.
Dancing on the lines of debonair and debutante, his brand of talent is a home-run. Tom Hearn’s Edfringe showing of “How Fabulous is That?” has landed at The Space @Surgeon’s Hall, Venue 53, 10:30pm (45m).
Not long after the start of the show, I hear a pre-recorded cackle, and I think ‘Rupaul, is that you? Or is that Tom? Haha, I can’t tell!’
Surely this is the level of camp we all aspire to; that our laughter is on the calibre of sassy yet playful and endearingly familiar under the guise of pseudo-drag.
If indeed it were Tom’s laugh billowing forth from the speakers, I’m not at all surprised. The way Tom can shift his voice and transport you into a different dimension for 45 joyful minutes is evidence of his stage-vet status.
Tom Hearn has frequented many a stage at various festivals, and has so far amassed 500k subscribers on TikTok, and 150 million views. He has been given the title of “One of the top TikTok creators to follow in 2023” by ET Canada.
With such a successful garnering of momentum, he’s given us interviews with CTV’s Your Morning host Lindsey Deluce and featured on The Good Stuff with Mary Berg.
Over the course of the 22 shows scheduled for this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, he’s catapulting himself into the UK with with a certain reverence for a delectable gay-joy that I hope reaches the audiences that need laughter and healing.
Not to mention, this tour de force gives you some in your face, cheeky lyrics delivered by Tom’s golden voice, showcasing the hilarity of what could happen if you forget the name of the guy you hooked up with last night.
“I hooked up last night” Tom says in a beckoning voice. “And I’m filled with….. questions!”
I was almost certain he was going to say something other than ‘questions’.. does my dirty mind make me the perfect audience member? Yasss it does!
If you want a bit of history of how this man got started doing celeb impersonations, come hither and gather ’round. The Ina Garten impression started when he was cooking a roast chicken! (Of all things) All he needed was that blue interview shirt and that signature wig to complete the look. His Ina Garten series was launched in 2022, and its obvious to see why he’s winning audiences over.
Tom doesn’t only do celebrity impersonations.
In a nod to acknowledging a certain demographic of people that don’t want drag queens in libraries, his inventive comedic set intelligently sheathes the nuances of politics… without the actual politics.
Tom sauntered on stage, now presenting to us a southern bell, one of his many dreamed up characters. Encapsulated within a blonde female character with a southern accent was just the perfect amount of absurdity. For one, she proclaims that her daughter is sponsored by the Clickity Clack Ice Cream Shack, which to me is completely believable. I have no reason to doubt the truths professed by any of the characters I’ve come to meet throughout the show. What greater truth is there than when someone gives the gift of theatre? It’s a remedy of truth by farce, in one complete package.
Then, Tom transformed into Rachel Ray by shouting “I’m Rachel Ray and I punched a russet potato!” Well, where is Rachel Ray when we need her? I could use a bit of help when I’m making my Sunday buttery mash!
Since I’m talking about all this food all of a sudden, I hope you’re hungry. Tom came to Edinburgh to cook on stage… AND he eats… and leaves no crumbs.
Don’t expect anything less from his other persona of international acclaim: Lifestyle guru Martha Stewart. If you let Martha guide you on making hors d’oeuvres, there won’t be any crumbs left!
The way he subdued his vocal tone to sound like Martha stewart is quite impressive! Easily digestible SNL skit material. As if his singing, catchy lyrics, and the characters of his own invention weren’t enough, ‘Martha Stewart’ asked the audience to come up with a word… someone shouts out “Tomato” and Tom’s Martha Stewart quickly chimes “I like my men like I like my tomatoes: Full of seed.”
His wit kept tumbling forth, marked by his own personal brand of camp you’d need to experience for yourself.
This is the type of quick-witted comedy that wins audiences. Tom propels you to the realm of genius, and serves the joy factor, over and over. Oh and yeah, if you haven’t already figured, there’s a ton of quick-witted innuendos filling his show, and this is exactly what tickles me pink!
Unfortunately, it doesn’t tickle everyone. We’re living in a day and age where someone may bypass sheer talent in lieu of their personal views towards the LGBT community.
This isn’t the first time that a man is imitating the female persona by any means. Exaggerating gender expression has been apart of many cultures, and it’s been happening for thousands of years. In fact, Ancient Egyptian queens were documented donning male clothing, with the addition of beards and the absense of their breasts. Fast forward to the birth of Ancient Greek Theatre where cultural restrictions in the 5th century BCE meant that men had been tasked with portraying women because women weren’t allowed in the theatre! The restrictions on women in theatre occurred across many centuries and in many cultures so why is it so shocking that men can actually do some of the finest impersonation work the world has ever seen? Isn’t it refreshing to live in a world where men can genderbend simply for pleasure and joy, and not just because they have to?
Whilst I think others may struggle to place this in the modern definition of a drag show category, this is still a gloriously gay man who effortlessly transforms and shapeshifts, minus all the standard drag makeup. Therefore, this is, by the root of the definition, a drag show!
Tom helps us understand that drag is an all encompassing art-form of character exploration. The term drag has roots in British theatre and was in use by people speaking Polari. Ever since someone coined the term ‘the drag’ in reference to a man’s girdle being drug across the floor, it opened up infinite possibilities for gender exploration and exaggeration in drag shows for the modern era.
And Tom holds the key for modern drag. It’s both high brow and low key. Tom Hearn’s drag hilariously makes me feel inferior that I don’t have a cranberry bog like Ina Garten! And even though I can’t throw a dinner party like Martha Stewart, he sure is selling her lifestyle range!
Tom’s show is a beautifully done comedy with singing, character work, with personas pulled from the imagination and real life with the inventiveness of a top drag superstar.
It’s all the gayness you want, and all the gayness you need. And if you need him to be more gay, he’ll give you the power to shout “More gay” to control the gayness!
Furthermore, to answer the question of “How Fabulous is That?” Well, it’s so fabulous I’m giving 5 stars.
Gather your crew, wear something fabulous, bring your card for the bar and go see it!
Jennifer Davidson
themumble.uk 