We all know what it is like to fall down a late-night YouTube rabbit hole. Finding old TV clips brings out a weird nostalgia that genuinely makes you laugh out loud. Licking Your Feet, Feeding You Grapes taps exactly into that feeling.
Written by Tara Lofthouse, this play drops us into 1991 club glamour. We follow Mich, a character navigating grief while clinging to the classic TV show The Hitman and Her. Right away, the upstairs theatre at The Kings Arms is transformed into a religious space. Eilidh Pollard is magnetic as Mich, wearing her “Sunday best” with the deeply serious air of someone completely lost in faith. However, that illusion is brilliantly shattered by her chunky Doc Marten sandals and her obsession with 90s clubbing!
The story overlaps in time, and honestly, the show needs a little tightening here. Giving the audience more of the overall plot earlier would really help it flow. But if you stick with it, everything falls into place. The room is actually a Mormon hall, which is a surprisingly fresh choice. We eventually learn the whole show is Mich and her dad remembering her late mum. It smoothly connects family grief to how we use YouTube to remember the past.
The famous Hitman and Her pass-the-mic sections tie the story together, though they desperately need a louder microphone! The cast, including comedy veteran Matt Seber and the talented Kate Benfield, brings fantastic energy. My overall view is that the show is okay, and it just needs a bit of polish. We even ended the night playing our own fun game of pass the mic!
While this show has finished its run, you can check out https://www.instagram.com/feedingyougrapes.show/ for future dates. The Greater Manchester Fringe runs until the end of the month, so head to greatermanchesterfringe.co.uk for more shows. Insider tip: flash your Canal Street VIP membership card for 15% off at the bar! Grab your discounted pint downstairs, soak in the historic fringe vibes, and support the incredible wave of new writing currently coming out of the North.
By James
For Canal Street Media