Naked Splendour

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The first few days of the Fringe are often used by critics to try to sniff out the weird and the wonderful whilst most punters are still trying to find their way around. Perhaps this is why the first showing of Philip Herbert’s curious performance piece is attended solely by three young male critics, who are given paper, boards and pencils as they file in. We’ve all read the programme blurb so we know what we’re letting ourselves in for, but any nerves we may have had about watching a very large, late-middle-aged man strip down to his willy are swiftly quashed by Herbert’s gentle, avuncular presence. Softly spoken and with just the level of mild camp that you’d expect from someone who used to be Julian Clary’s ‘straight’ man on TV, Herbert minces on to the stage in an African-style dashiki and greets us with a beatific smile.

The hour that follows consists of a series of nude poses that the three critics sketch enthusiastically, while Herbert regales us with tales from his long career as a life model. These range from the gently humorous to the genuinely moving, with pauses to consider the questions that naturally occur to people about life models: How much are you paid? Is it uncomfortable? What happens if you get an erection? The sense of common purpose among the audience members creates a real bonhomie and we all seem pleasantly surprised by how nicely our drawings come out. It really is a quite lovely way to spend an Edinburgh afternoon.