A hilarious show that’s definitely not for all the family, ‘Marcel Lucont’s Whine List’ is well worth checking out if you’re in the mood for some unapologetic, sarcastic, ‘French’ wit. This interactive show draws the bulk of its material from audience questionnaires distributed before the show, which Marcel’s team dig through and then project onto a screen. He then talks through the ‘whine list’ of a given audience member, improvising as he goes along. Whilst this format did not seem the most exciting or innovative whilst reading through the programme, Alexis Dubus pulls it off spectacularly, demonstrating again that a simple show is not necessarily a bad one. Because of the format of the show it nonetheless changes each night, bringing fresh gags for returning audiences.
Admittedly much of Dubus’ humour treads a very dangerous satirical line as he deconstructs and lambasts pretentious metropolitan misogynists, however it is evident throughout that he is very clearly criticising, rather than glorifying, characters that are all too familiar. I first saw Dubus’ character at a Phil Jupitus’ performance poetry show ‘Porky the Poet’ two years ago, and whilst it’s a shame that Marcel was not dipping in and out of his poetry book this year there were some riveting risqué passages from his memoirs.
Definitely worth checking out this Fringe, and later on in the year if he’s on tour nearer to home, and very unlikely to disappoint. Just don’t bring the family to this one.
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/marcel-lucont-s-whine-list
Image: courtesy of production
