Wodehouse in Wonderland

Sunday 3rd August 18.10

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In the early days of our Edinburgh festival trips we picked a lot of biographical, one-person shows. Eventually we stopped selecting them as sadly they often weren't very good.

I therefore thought long and hard before selecting Wodehouse in Wonderland and the main reason was the appearance of Robert Daws in the titular role. He has been a reliable face on television for quite a while, but his biggest success was probably as Tuppy Glossop in the Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie series of "Jeeves And Wooster". Having recently re-watched the box set I am happy to announce that they stand up really well.

On entering the venue we were greeted by an elaborate set and immediately transported back into Wodehouse world, aided by music to complete the atmosphere. The concept of the piece is that PG (Plum) is in the process of being interviewed (unwillingly by his reviewer). This is the perfect device to allow Mr W to look back over his life, highs and lows. If you know much about his life you can guess what is coming. However, it the performance and charm of Daws that brings the show to life and transports this production above most biographical shows.

It helps that the dialogue provided by the author for his characters is funny and beautifully observed. What I wasn't expecting was Daws' singing voice which transported you back to the 1920s. This of course is not just a frivolous piece and we have to deal with a few uncomfortable truths along the way. This makes Mr Daws performance even the more remarkable as he leads us effortlessly through the highs and lows of an astonishing life.

Running at seventy minutes this is an theatrical tour de force and deserves to be seen. Go! (DC)

Wodehouse in Wonderland is running daily at Studio Three at Assembly George Square Studios until August 24th - details here