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Latest items? Unedited? Fringe Report Uncut
Sol Bernstein in Almost Alive
Verdict: Charming and amiable comedy from a master of the old school
Edinburgh - Gilded Balloon Teviot - August 03
'God bless you'. Sol Bernstein's generous with blessings, charming and amiable. It's with a feeling of privilege we can witness a legendary comic's return to the stage - 62 years into his career - from half a century in retirement.
Sol's the man who offered life-changing advice to many: 'Shut up' to Marcel Marceau back in 1949, when Sol - with his lovely wife Esther - witnessed Marcel's appalling stand-up comedy routine. 'Wear a tie', to Elvis Presley, prompting the King's move to military service and a constant supply of fresh uniforms. 'Wear a tie' also, to Frank Sinatra, never seen since without a suit. And 'Wear a tie' to Harry Hill, who he meets in the lavatory during this very show. But Sol's a man who's never tie-less, even in the shower ('You never know who's going to walk in').
He shares a knowledge of Yiddish with the audience, and we come out primed with the words for intimate body parts - words that Sol's far too much of a gentleman to use, but naughty enough to think about - constantly. As he says, 'I don't need Viagra. I need a woman'. He frets about the Jew-lessness of Edinburgh. 'I've been here 6 days. I haven't seen a single Jewish person. It's like Berlin 1939'. Life as a Jewish comedian's been tough: 'I survived the camps. The holiday camps'.
From his clean shoes to his trilby, Sol Bernstein's a dapper lad. Tonight he sports bushy and neatly clipped grey eyebrows, a well-trimmed and exuberant moustache, horn-topped steel-rimmed glasses, a smart black blazer (double-breasted with gold buttons), well-pressed razor-creased grey trousers, white shirt, and - of course - a smart silk tie. He's ready to share with the men in the audience tips for their sartorial improvement ('Wear a tie'). The exterior's peeled away for a close-up on the body's intimacy, as he pools views with the audience on 'The Vagina Monologues' (the show that torpedoed Sol's own project 'The Angina Monologues').
Sol's serious and outspoken on the Middle East ('I don't like what the Israeli government is doing in my name'). He's light and funny on impersonations ('Where to, guv'nor?', as Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver). He has a fine memory for the embarrassing detail of the famous (Rolf Harris drinking his own urine, an offer Sol declined).
Sol Bernstein is one of those rare stand-ups whose world is immediately welcoming. His geniality, sharp wit, and generosity of spirit ('Wear a tie') are a delight, and the hour in his company passes in a flash. Sol may have started his career well before World War 2, but his inspiration - the outstanding actor Steve Jameson - is a lot younger. Good news for his fans, and the new friends he'll gain at Edinburgh 2003.
Credits Steve Jameson. Writers: Ashley Boroda and Steve Jameson. Technicals - Gilded Balloon.
END
John Park
reviewed Saturday 9 August 03 / Edinburgh / Gilded Balloon Teviot
Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2012
www.fringereport.com
