Patricia Quinn Saved My Life

Published on Tuesday 10 August 2004 13:11

Patricia Quinn Saved My Life ***

The Lift @ The Pleasance

IMAGINE you find yourself in a Christmas Carol-esque scenario. Three ghostly apparitions appear to point out your shortcomings, and describe your miserable existence in an embarrassingly frank manner.

Now imagine you are locked in a cupboard with them and they are in fishnets and cabaret outfits.

This is how Patricia Quinn Saved My Life, the surreal lip-smacking comedy from Alison Carr, starts, before exploding into an energetic celebration of the actress Patricia Quinn, famed for her role in the Rocky Horror Picture Show

Two emotionally troubled characters are thrown together when locked in a hotel cupboard at a Rocky Horror convention. Social misfits, schoolgirl Paula meets housewife Jackie, they discover a shared hidden passion in their love of the actress who played Magenta in the 1975 classic. Their desperation to escape and join their idol signing autographs upstairs leads the two into a roller coaster of emotional revelations.

The show is fast paced but easy to follow, and each character takes it in turn to throw a neurotic episode which, more often than not, result in laughter. Housewife Janet, played by a spunky Charlotte Palmer, proves a fascinating watch, particularly during her comedic hard-faced rant over her loyalty to Quinn.

An entertaining production, Patricia Quinn Saved My Life is given a real edge by a superbly funny chorus of Patricia Quinns. Crammed together they fill every square inch of The Lift. But with so many larger-than-life Patricia Quinn wannabes it is hard to know where to look.

Finally for the fans of the cross-dressing cult movie, there is the added thrill of, perhaps, seeing the real Patricia Quinn. Expect three guest appearances from the lady herself. Will she approve? With a representation this fabulous, it’s hard to imagine otherwise.

• Run ends August 30