Review by Dominic Corr
Just the Tonic at the Voodoo Rooms: Tickets
This is a Festival Fringe performance which brings a deep passion to the forefront – no running the risk of 'guilty pleasures ' or hidden secrets here – comedian Otter Lee makes it painfully and hilariously clear to the audience what they love, from Princess Diana to pastels, and to their love for a bit of Disney show tune. A whirlwind of colour and smile, Lee has an immediate presence – an amiable one. This is the antithesis of the grumpy comedian; Lee adores performance, and it suits them well.
Gradually, the levels of the comedy emerge – the joy in looking to Princesses and Fairytales, having grown up with a more Grimm variety of fairy tales in the brutal tabloid details of Diana's death or the cutting of his mother's work from Entertainment Weekly. The tales of Lee's growing up gay and as an Asian American with an unsympathetic father who struggled (indeed mocked) his son's genuine affliction by the death of Princess Diana had two avenues: a solo show at Summerhall or a personable and intimate comedic routine at Voodoo Rooms. Well, we know which path Lee went down. And we thank them for it.
For the Disneyphiles – the spoofs Lee creates are incredibly articulate and clever and will be a source of extreme hilarity as plenty of blue humour about oral sex is woven into the very fabric of where it should never be. But for those unfamiliar with the Mouse's catalogue of ditties and songs, there's a strong chance these routines will Zip (a-Doo-Dah) right over the audience's heads. This is a show that, while open to everyone, certainly benefits some more than others in its structure, which isn't always accessible.
The crude and occasionally necessarily dark humour thrives with Lee's high-energy delivery and works as a twisted manoeuvre away from the obvious themes of Princess Syndrome, though cleverly still tied back in various ways. Routines on Lee's sex life, relationship with his father, and his side-gig as a Dungeon Master for D & D. It all come with a masterfully conducted self-deprecation that goes far enough that some in the audience likely want to offer Lee a tissue or even an embrace.
With enviable energy, Lee is both amiable and vicious, though in the case of the latter - mainly towards themselves. Welcomingly bordering into cabaret comedy with the meshing of song and stand-up, Lee is a comic with fierce control of the elements they excel at but struggles with the structure of their show for newcomers and those not directly influenced in sharing in Lee's passions.
Review by Dominic Corr (contact@corrblimey.uk)
Editor for Corr Blimey, and a freelance critic for Scottish publications, Dominic has been writing freelance for several established and respected publications such as BBC Radio Scotland, The List, The Skinny, Edinburgh Festival Magazine, The Reviews Hub, In Their Own League, and The Wee Review. As of 2023, he is a member of the Critic's Award for Theatre Scotland (CATS) and a member of the UK Film Critics.
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