What's so funny? Louise Ford (one half of double act Ford and Akram) isn't the first character comic to sound out humour on society's maladroit margins. But if her creation, Jenny Fawcett, isn't the most sophisticated of all time, she's the vehicle for an enjoyable show.
So who's this Jenny person, then? A northern tap-dancing enthusiast (she won a talent contest on a cruise), staging a Fringe show in an attempt to capture the heart of her beloved Peter Dink.
That description has a familiar provincial tang. Peter Dink. Uncle Terry Bince. Sally Plimpton: anyone who's ever seen John Shuttleworth, Victoria Wood – or any other comic poet of the unheralded northern life – will recognise Ford's dramatis personae.
What does she bring that's new? A lack of boundaries ("I'm wading, vagina-high, through the river of love") tending towards sexual harassment. Judging by her needy overtures to young men in the audience, Peter Dink doesn't have an exclusive claim to Jenny's romantic attention.
So I should avoid the front row? Not necessarily. This is audience participation of the friendliest variety. In one sketch, Jenny needs a stooge to sign the word "pervert" in Japanese sign-language. Later, and memorably, she requires another to help her perform the bizarre finale to Peter Dink's fantasy funeral.
I'm sensing the humour is quite broad. Indeed. But Ford's performance is light, and endearing, as she forever nudges her specs back up her nose and flashes winningly gormless smiles at the crowd.
So should I shuffle-hop-step to the Pleasance Cellar? The gig I saw, performed to a lively crowd, was a scream. Don't expect near-the-knuckle character comedy. But it's playful and lots of fun.
