Three Fat Ladies, The Stand

Steve Jelbert
Saturday 25 August 2001 00:00 BST
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It must be panto season already, with the cast of this ludicrous, energetic spoof of the country house murder scenario shamelessly resorting to the old "behind you" routine. The story's simple enough. When a multi-millionairess and former child star is slain, who is responsible? Is it her gory old dyke of an agent? Or perhaps her supposed best pal, all-round, fat sex symbol Clee Vage? (It's that sort of production, as you might have guessed.) Maybe the innocently randy vicar, incapable of saying anything that doesn't involve a double entendre?

The four cast members have a good time throughout, swapping gender roles at a bewildering pace. Miles Jupp is excellent as the Reverend and Joon Broon proves ideal as bovine drama queen, Clee. Though the storyline is hardly up to Sayers or Christie standard, clues are scattered throughout, and the audience gets to pick the villain. The lucky punter who guesses correctly wins a bottle of perfectly acceptable fizzy wine. To be honest, I could have done with fewer gags about "fingering the suspect", but this must be the only play on the fringe where the plot hinges on a vaginal prolapse.

Venue 5 (0131-558 7272) to tomrrow, 16.00-17.15

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