Drawing a title from the pile of suggestions provided by the audience provided today's choice of lesser known Jane Austen novel, we were treated to the story of Little Boredom. The name announced, the cast of six, aided by some subtle mood music from their violin accompanist, create an hour long comic tale that's distantly related to the Austen world.
There may be no script, but the group have worked together for so long that they are clearly able to think as a team, using past experiences to build up new scenes. After a bit of hesitation in the first five minutes, as the major characters were delineated, the pace picked up and the story unfolded. Based on the notion that a French couple must be prevented from making a dull English town more interesting, the subsequent plot was ludicrous and far from Jane-like. And all the better for it, as many of the best laughs come when the storyline goes a bit awry and a way forward has to be created.
There were a few inspired moments - a line about mayonnaise got the biggest laugh of the show - and some lovely exchanges of dialogue. We got pebble counting, decadence, the scent of gold, a shipboard fight scene and a suitably romantic conclusion. Your mileage may vary.
What you will get is laughs and sense of fun. It's no surprise that the group seem to play a bigger venue with each successive year in Edinburgh and are becoming a Fringe institution.
Austentatious is on in Udderbelly, George Square at 13.15 until the 31st.
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