Trio leaves King's Lynn on a high note
Comedy trio Fascinating Aida are a triple threat, they sing, act, dance (well it resembles dancing as they point out) and the Lynn audience at the Corn Exchange were entertained by this talented threesome.
Dillie Keane, Liza Pulman and Adele Anderson were joined by Michael Roulston accompanying them on the piano.
With a near full to capacity audience they played new material relating to politics and the pandemic and firm favourites that brought the house down.
With punch lines delivered with acute comic timing in songs such as 'Poor Prince Andrew is misunderstood' in the song Fake News the audience were on side from the outset.
Showing that they have their fingers on the pulse when it comes to musical comedy they covered a range of subjects from menopause with lyrics such as 'is it me or is it hot in here' to the pandemic and the lockdowns when the most exciting party to be able to go out and get dressed up for would be a wake.
The Lynn audience happily laughed at themselves and took it on the chin with the introduction telling us sardonically where better to perform than here.
Individually they each perform songs but it is never better than when all three are on stage, along with their accompanist who contributes singing and comedy, and a lot of sparkle, to the show aswell.
The use of swearing is purely for comic effect and always delivered brilliantly, or not delivered at all when it is an obvious rhyme that the audience can predict. Particularly when talking about politicians such as Jeremy Hunt, Dillie Keane has us in the palm of her hand.
A clever cabaret styled number mocked performers singing out of tune in smoky night clubs and the song Hokey Cokey mocked the older generation when it came to matters of romanitc overtures.
Our modern world of social media was deconstructed with the self fulfilling prophecies it presents and the line 'showing my life through a filter lens' showed up the limitations and issues social media creates. Singing 'pretty girls in pink might never learn to think' reflects the social media culture of being one- dimensional.
Staycations and holidays in the gardens were addressed plus the subject of climate change which Dillie is a champion for and a song about Covid was summed up with the line 'Suddenly New Zealand doesn't seem so boring' and bolstered with the use of sheep props and a chorus of baas.
Dillie is a woman after my own heart when, starting the classic song Cheap Flights, some members of the audience started clappng along, she quickly put a stop to it commenting that 'this isn't Butlins and it may be the Corn Exchange but let's not be corny.'
She is in complete control and with 38 years of performing experience they soon decided not to clap along.
Songs about climate change and gender are by no means tokenism as many of these were written years ago but as explained it wasn't the right time to perform them.
Adele's Song is a powerful personal journey about being a prisoner of gender and transformation, funny and poignant and defending people's right to choose it includes the beautiful line 'cherish the differences that make us all unique.'
Comedians who visit our Hanseatic town often commcnt on the seeming dichotomy of Lynn's dwellers and Fascinating Aida were no different in their judgement finale.
They hold no prisoners and luckily the audience see the funny side with the acerbic line which I paraphrase, 'people here are either chavvy or formal, and having 14 toes is seen as perfectly normal.'
The message and feeling I always get from their live performance is to be bold and unapologetic and without fail inspires me to keep performing musical comedy myself, to keep writing and to keep going.
Their expertise in singing really naughty songs followed by a poignant ballad is skilful and finishing with a glitter ball,sequins and a Status Quo song blaring out, it left the audience on a high note.
Jenny Beake