Loretta Maine: Bipolar

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Loretta Maine is Pippa Evans’ most successful character from her 2008 Edinburgh Comedy Award nominated show Pippa Evans And Other Lonely People, and is now on her second solo outing. The strung-out American folk-rock songstress has garnered numerous comparisons, from a more unbalanced Courtney Love to a Mike Leigh take on Dolly Parton. In short, she’s a mess. Nothing, it seems, can prise her away from swigging at a succession of mini wine bottles, mixing the grape with the venom that she spits out to the subjects of her songs, from exes to call centres.

While certainly not a difficult second album, it is more of the same from Maine. Highlights of this angst-driven hour include ‘White Wine Witch,’ that sees Maine cavort the audience to warn of the dangers of a woman whose progressive drinking turns her from life and soul of the party to a harpy in three easy bottles. Clearly, this one comes from bitter experience. Some of the later numbers and banter intervals are as unfocused as Maine’s deliberately slurred diction, but those watching Maine for the first time were audibly impressed with her talents.

While she bears a second listen for her existing fans, her character hasn’t been developed much further. It is great that a character showcase spawned a stand-alone act, but since Evans has other strings to her bow, future Fringe ventures might hopefully see her do something new.