Jessica Ransom: Unsung Heroes, Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh
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Your support makes all the difference."If I was a song, I'd be a Lighthouse Family B-side." So begins Jessica Ransom's hour dedicated to the unsung heroes of everyday life, the humdrum types no-one pays attention to, unless they happen to have a Fringe show to perform.
In an irresistible feelgood hour, Ransom gives voice to an unlikely set of stars, from a Downton Abbey maid to a bounty hunter-turned-personal trainer, from the downtrodden to the downright odd. The talking heads are intercut with nifty visual jokes on the big screen she ducks behind for her rapid-fire costume changes.
A regular on The Armstrong & Miller Show, Ransom is a superb comic actress. But there are plenty of zingy lines too and she works the crowd like a pro. Some characters are better written than others – I particularly liked the nervy wife of a tyrannical celebrity chef – but she is so likeable that the odd weak moment passes in a flash. Even a reticent front-row stooge is unable to resist her perky charm for long.
Ransom has performed with Adam Riches – we see the same slightly screwy characters and the same build-up of energy and warmth in the room, leading up to a great big silly hug of an ending.
To 29 August (0131 556 6550)
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