"Alan Cumming - I Bought a Blue Car Today" - Edinburgh Fringe 2010

Much as he had when we saw him in the lead role of the National Theatre of Scotland’s “The Bacchae” , Alan Cumming held the audience in the palm of his hand on Friday night. There can be few performers at the Fringe this year to rival Cumming for star status – Tony award winner, Hollywood star, recurring role in a successful US TV show, not to mention Edinburgh Fringe legend as one half of “Victor & Barry”. He may have been touring his cabaret show “I Bought a Blue Car Today” around the globe, but this version had a very Edinburgh flavour and after an energetic 90 minute performance the audience welcomed him back as one of their own.

Delivering some great vocals, he treated the audience to renditions of some of his favourite musical numbers complemented by several songs, some self-penned, which appeared aimed at securing a place as the rightful heir to the Big Yin as king of comedy songs. Personally I’d have liked to have seen a couple of better known songs but as it’s a very personal show it’s only fair that the choices are Cumming’s own. And there’s enough on show here to suggest that maybe, some day, we’ll see a full scale musical penned by Cumming and his musical director and collaborator Lance Horne.

Anyway, we were there as much for the patter as the singing, and there was no disappointment in that respect. Despite his protests to the contrary, Cumming appears as comfortable on stage as any stand-up and has a range of amusing anecdotes with which he entertains us. He’s also clearly still a bit of a political firebrand and doesn’t shy away from commenting on political matters.

He playfully teases us about whether or not he will return to the stage for an encore and then gives a rendition of Victor & Barry’s ‘Edinburgh Festival Song’ to the delight of the audience. And then as he films the audience on his own camera during the final number we realise he’s perhaps having every bit as much fun tonight as we are.

A genuine star who comes over as entirely unaffected by his status, and who hasn’t forgotten where he came from. Credit is also due to Cumming and the Assembly team for keeping prices to a very reasonable £20.

I Bought a Blue Car Today has now completed its run.
Image by Ned Stresen Reuter used with permission