by Ed Fortune
One-person tell-all celebrity shows usually feature folk who are no longer famous. Grotto, however, features a genuine superstar, Santa Claus himself.
Comedian Terry Victor embodies the role of Santa here, and Grotto is very much a one-man show. Mr Claus takes pains to tell his audience that he’s the original Santa Claus, not Father Christmas or Papa Noel; rather, he’s the white-bearded, red-and-white uniformed creature who comes once a year. Down your chimney. And yes, every innuendo is intended.
The set-up is pretty simple; Santa has had it rough recently and has mostly been binge-watching Drag Race and over-indulging whilst waiting for the big day to come around. We first see the legend in full Santa costume, but that slowly strips away as Santa reveals more about himself in a way that can be described more as burly-esque than burlesque.
This is, quite simply, excellent character work. Santa isn’t exactly a likeable character here; he’s loud, spoiled, and really only interested in wine, song and a bit of fun. The show is absolutely packed with puns and innuendo throughout, as well as shaggy dog stories about the various celebrities that the seasonal legend has encountered throughout the years. This is a show for grown-ups who have forgotten what it’s like to sit on Santa’s knee and perhaps regret remembering.
Grotto is quite a weird idea for a show and made stranger through its brutally funny execution. It’s interesting to watch the character slowly unravel before our eyes (both figuratively and literally), and at times, this is a little uncomfortable. But that’s the point; we often treat real celebs as if they were mythical creatures and expect them to fall apart for our entertainment, so why not treat Santa the same way?
Harsh, funny and simply staged, Grotto feels like the sort of show the Edinburgh Fringe was invented for; something a bit unique, memorable and bizarre. But in a fun way.
Tickets can be found here.
