I know Vulva VaVoom to be one of the most talented and interesting performers I have had the pleasure of seeing. From their trans-masc cabaret to Mein Kamp, I have seen a range of excellent work from them.
I was very excited to see Blah-Capella not having any idea what to expect apart from excellent singing, dancing and execution.
I have a very high bar for their productions and I was walking into this production with this same mentality.
There are many of their trademarks in this show, and it has several bits that absolutely showcase the powerhouse entertainer that I know them to be - the opera piece and the tap dancing are absolutely examples of this - but there was a nervous almost unsure energy that I have never seen in one of their shows before. While their charm is on full display, the piece overall feels a bit confused.
The conceit of the show is that they were challenged to do a show with absolutely no conventions to fall back on, but still include all the hallmarks of the show. The way they did this was presented via low tech options and manual prompts- a good concept- but one that feels unusually loose and casual for a performer of their calibre. I recognize this was an opening performance and the first time in the space (which is absolutely one of the most challenge Fringe spaces I've seen) which may have something to do with it, but even so their performance is especially exciting when they can truly showcase their star quality.
Their presence as always as a delight, but on future mounting of this show, I feel it might benefit from a stronger through line. I would love to see them present everything with a bit more story and structure to really help ground the piece in a bigger and more cohesive structure.