Theatre Watch: Sweet Beef
The show is Crying Game - catch it at the Fringe in Edinburgh.
Crying Shame is a cabaret show-cum-wellness journey all about loneliness.
In the dusty dreamscape of Club Fragilé, you’ll encounter washed-up cabaret acts, filthy lip-syncs and a joyous celebration of queer culture, as these camp clowns try – and possibly fail – to connect with each other and the audience. You might be lonely, but you're definitely not alone.
Devised by queer theatre collective Sweet Beef, who work to explore socio-political issues with audience interaction and comedy, Crying Shame explores the isolating effects of the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis on our mental health. The show asks us to try and combat isolation with community and creative joy.
Sweet Beef conducted interviews with people across the UK discussing what loneliness means to them; these verbatim interviews have been intertwined with the acts own personal perspectives, layered with sparkle. While fantastical, and sometimes chaotic, Crying Shame is rooted in real-life perspectives. Expect biscuits, bubbles, confetti, tap dancing, sweaty sports classes, a box of confessions, glitz and glamour, shots and a whole lotta me time.
Crying Shame shows how loneliness affects everyone. If you’ve ever felt the teensiest bit lonely, this show is for you.
"Crying Shame is about why we all feel like crying all the time..." explain Sweet Beef. "Young people are lonelier than ever and queer people’s mental health has plummeted since the pandemic. We’re all lonely and we’re all ashamed of it."
- Performance Dates Wednesday 31st July – Sunday 25th August 2024 (not 5th, 12th, 19th), 21:30
- Running Time 60 minutes
- Location Pleasance Dome (King Dome), Potterow, Edinburgh, EH8 9AL
- Box Office Tickets are available from www.pleasance.co.uk
Follow Sweet Beef on Instagram @Sweetbeeftheatre
