Review: Luke Rollason

Of all the props that are stuffed into the corners and crevices in the Fringe venues for the thousands of shows, surely toilet paper must be one of the most perennial. Seeing a performer fill their trolley with a bounty of the stuff in Lidl on Nicolson Street can’t be that an uncommon sight. You can see why – it’s adaptable and cheap stuff even if it’s hard to get over its bad aesthetics. 

Toilet paper abounds in Luke Rollason’s latest show in the Pleasance Dome. It is the walls of a castle, the flowing hair of a princess and many other fantastical objects in this physically sharp show that revels in the stories of Disney (Rollason is currently the star of one of its TV shows) and the Brothers Grimm.

Like toilet paper, the ‘reworking’ of fairy tales are a mainstay of Fringe comedy shows by this point, along with men in tight neon pants, sparkly bum bags and eggs that are inevitably cracked, all of which all appear in the show. Perhaps this could be seen as a downside, this show certainly isn’t reinventing the wheel – but the wheel is famously pretty good already. It is inane and silly with some really funny sketches like saying goodnight to the seven dwarves and a very game audience. Perhaps the best part of the show involves King Midas, with everything he touches turning to comedy gold. 

If you want a show that strikes true with the bright and silly fun that is intrinsic to the success of much of the Fringe, this show by Luke Rollason is a great one to head along to.