Underbelly Bristo Square: Dexter
Until the 24th (17:45)
On a hot summer’s day I found myself strutting up Edinburgh’s North Bridge, and heading for the delectable Underbelly ‘Dexter’, and a basement of white-tiled corridors. I was then led into a room where a relatively small stage was surronded by about, maybe, 30 seats or so, the sacred space where Holly Spillar would commence her 2025 Fringe show ‘Tall Child’.
With an immediate and endearing presence, Holly began as she meant to go on, singing in a soft voice a lyrical montage, relish’d with a thick sauce for the socially awkward. Her act was finely honed, absorbing us in 50 swift-passing minutes of personal and public scrutiny, stuffing the set with as many culture-nuggets as could fit, carving cutting-edge comedy from the ludicrousness of existance in this modern reality of ours – & just how funny it is to actually be a member of the human race. We’re quite weird creatures if you think about it, which Holly certainly made me do!
Holly’s complex, deadpan and tirading take on the universe gives her a real edge as she grasps the situation clearly and cleanly, opening up hapy channels between her and the audience. We in the room liked her a lot – her human warmth, & enrapturing thought-waves smitting our attention, & inviting us back in again, and again, and again…
Holly makes this comedy malarky look easy, although, of course, its not like that at all. Indeed, some of Holly’s craft came off as quite experimental, but calmly & assuredly held it all together through the bostik of shared human experience; growing up, going to school, what kind of school? Being poor, keeping up, compassion, ADHD, smells, private parts… faecal matter – too clean to be coarse, too fine to be distasteful, and I was too accepting to judge.
My memorable memories of Holly will see her peering out from her perfomance podium with a presence that completely penetrated and lifted the room; and an intuitive mind which searched for the funniest of conclusions throughout a charming & illuminating show.
Daniel Donnelly
themumble.uk 