Frisky & Mannish: Just Too Much

For the Frisky & Mannish faithful, a new Edinburgh Fringe gig will tick all the right boxes. The musical comedy duo’s new show Just Too Much centres on the excesses and exaggerations of pop culture icons today—a lot like the grimy, gaudy cabaret of their double-act itself—to send-up stars including Robin Thicke, Miley Cyrus and James Arthur. In this regard, there’s nothing new about their hour of lightly observed satire, but it’s one that guarantees blissful, cavorting revelry.

The pair re-imagine letters from Sinéad O’Connor to a horde of pop stars, interrogate songs that could be considered feminist anthems, host a game of Know Your Lord(e)s, and generally try to pack in more chart references than a Radio 1 Sunday night slot. Gimmicks aside, their musical prowess is spectacular: sharp, natural and rollickingly good fun to watch. And yet, this year, they seem to riff on their own hype. “If you’ve ever been to a Frisky & Mannish gig, make noise,” they shout. Although they try to parody this fame, it becomes conceited.

One thing they continue to balance perfectly, however, is surrealism with storytelling. Mannish steps out with an accordion—dressed up in pirate gear—to play a sea shanty version of Clean Bandits’ 'Rather Be'. And in one sequence, the dream-ballet, the duo pirouette through a bizarre routine which sees Frisky give birth. Undoubtedly, Just Too Much will dispel the early evening boredom of festival-goers, and their infectious albeit broad comedy is hard to hate. But there’s a mounting need for their act to refresh and step up the cabaret.