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Penny Ashton 'Hot Pink Bits' Freemasons Hall (Chandelier Room) Sat 4 March The Freemason's Hall is a warren of rooms, of offshoots and worthy of exploration; it reflects and rewards time and effort. 'Hot Pink Bits' is the same. A meshing of cabaret, bawdy poetry and storytelling, 'Hot Pink Bits' is a journey through the life of Penny Ashton. It is replete with dancing, with often intensely personal lyrics but always full of genuine humour and honesty. It is engaging without being saccharine, pointed without being nasty and personal without being voyeuristic. It is a warmly caustic examination of all stages of relationships; in other words it has something that all can relate to. Ms Ashton, seemingly proudly single, controls the stage even in a frock better suited to a late 80's wedding or school social. 'Hot Pink Bits' seems to be a show of discovery, of coming to terms with one's self and of ribaldry. She slides effortlessly from self-deprecating humour and stories to pointed social comment while maintaining the ability to actively engage the audience in this process. Her songs range from the rambunctious 'yes yes no tango' and ode to 'funbags' to the just plain silly 'pirate rhyme'. All were performed with a deft touch. Other highlights were 'The Angry Poem' which was introduced majestically as 'not so much entertainment for you as therapy for me' and pinky time with the audience tooling themselves up for a shot at the bigtime as 'man-ho's' and 'she-pimps'. Penny Ashton is not the most professional act you'll see yet she provides one of the most engaging, warm yet rude shows of the Fringe. Truly, she has 'cast her fishnets for rough.'  |
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