Debbie Does Dallas - The Musical
Sexy Boys and Girls & Co present
E4 Udderbelly’s Pasture @ 17:45, Aug 2-27 (not 13 or 20), (1hr15mins), £12.50 (£10.50), £14.00 (£12.50)
*****
As in the original Debbie doesn’t actually quite get around to doing Dallas. Unlike the original, Debbie doesn’t do disrobing. Did I duly do disappointment? I did… definitely!

To be honest, I wasn’t really expecting to see naked people humping each other as they blasted out showstoppers – but for a show that trades so heavily upon the word porn there was always going to be a little glint of expectancy for at least a flash of bare breast! Bra and knickers is all you get here though I’m afraid – but don’t be dismayed as less is more! And to be frank, if they took any more clothing off during the orgy sequence there would be nowhere to put the microphone packs and anyone who’s watched Big Brother knows that nudity and radio mics just don’t go together.

Still… there is plenty of super-soft titillation to be had, if that’s what you’re after, and the cheerleader costumes alone kept my retina (and those of the big ogling drunkards next to me) relatively content throughout.

Following the story of the original quite faithfully; Debbie Benton is offered a place on the Dallas Cowboys cheerleading team, but needs to raise a substantial amount of money in order to go. This she does with the help of her girlfriends as they spread it about a bit to help Debbie achieve her dreams.

With a small but perfectly formed set comprising a few benches and a row of lockers the scenes change as quickly as the clothes come off helping the show maintain its unrelenting pace. Slick moves and sassy direction keep the musical numbers bouncing and even when the songs are not high-tempo there is plenty to keep the eyes and ears engaged with nimble choreographical cheek and equally agile innuendo filled lyrics.

It’s full of uproarious adult fun and positively overflowing with joyously explicit turns of phrase – I thought I knew a pretty admirable selection of metaphors for cunnilingus but this provided quite an epiphany for me, and plenty of choice additions to my lexicon!

Debbie Does Dallas is brilliant fun that’ll have you giggling and gasping with your friends for the rest of the night and it’s sufficiently safe that you might even consider taking your mother.

by Ian Phillips

The National Student's
2007 Edinburgh Festival Fringe
coverage is supported by