Mother, Maiden and Crone, Auditorium at Bedlam Theatre Review

Mother, Maiden and Crone are back at the Fringe for their second year! Loosely based on the Shakespearean tale Macbeth, predominantly the three witches, set in Club Limbo Bar and Kitchen.

The script, written by Ewan Burns, packs so many punches you would be surprised to not get knocked out. It uses comedy to its strength, its crudeness a true highlight, not holding back for a moment, making fun of itself without ever verging into discriminatory territory.

Having seen the show last year and its first excerpt at a fundraiser, the show has only seemed to pick up pace. The Bedlam theatre provides the perfect venue, not only as it has raised seating, which is so rare at the Fringe, but also because of the characters’ use of the space. Popping up all over the place, keeping the audience in gleeful suspense throughout.

The cast all shine as bright as humanly possible, each one absolutely nailing every aspect of their character. The bridal party holds strong until exteriors start to crack and people get knocked out. But it does have the I be said that Mother (Lewis Gemmell), Maiden (Ewan Burns) and Crone (Fin Watt) collectively and individually are in a class of their own, never once dropping the ball and even improvising interactions with late audience members. And I have to mention McBride’s (Erin McGivern) man-like shouting, which caught me off guard every time into laughs that were probably a little too loud.

Mother, Maiden and Crone is the epitome of the fringe and is all the better for it, this show has a huge admiration behind it which is fully granted. What I did notice that hadn’t really happened too much this fringe is that everyone seems genuinely happy to be there. Fringe can be such a stressful time and can push some creatives to the limit and burn out fairly quickly. But Mother, Maiden and Crone feels like a breath of fresh air, is all the better for it, and I will never stop recommending it, especially when Scissor Sisters’ “Filthy/Gorgeous” starts playing.

Mother, Maiden and Crone plays at Auditorium at Bedlam Theatre until 30 August.

★★★★★