EDINBURGH 2023: Review: BABS FOR LIFE, C Arts, C Cubed

Walking into C Cubed, you are greeted by Babs Romance MP, who thanks you for coming as you take a seat. You are at her press conference in order to witness her reflect on her political career as she announces her new party - The Preservatives. A projection on the screen shows the logo of the party, a green tree on fire, with the slogan, “Set the world on fire.”

Before Babs takes the stage, there is an incredibly well-done introductory video that had me both laughing and impressed with the technical skill used to insert Babs into important political events over the years. And then, the woman of the hour takes to the stage, ready to defend her past choices. Through videos, speeches, dramatic flashbacks, and songs, Babs gives us a look inside the brain of a politician, using satire in an amusing way. 

I particularly enjoyed the song and dance numbers performed by Babs, particularly “L-I-E-OKAY,” in which Babs dances along to a cleverly written song about lying politicians and how they will do anything to appeal to the voters.  “Keir Is A God” was also fun, but I have to admit that I did not really understand much of the nuance, as an American who is still working to understand UK politics and the characters involved. 

There were only a few scenes that I didn’t understand due to my lack of knowledge of UK politics, but they were still amusing and the satire was clear. Quite a few bits could have been shortened so that more topics could have been explored, particularly with more recent political events. I was also not the biggest fan of the “romantic” scenes within the show, particularly those involving squished bananas. 

Ultimately, Babs for Life is a fun drag show with an interesting character, but I would have loved some more bits dedicated to politics, particularly instead of the more sexual scenes. The character of Babs Romance MP is a fantastic example of satirical drag and I look forward to seeing more of her in the future!

Babs for Life runs at C ARTS, C Cubed at 22:45 until 27 August.

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