Review by Marissa Burgess

With an uncanny knack for foresight, Ross Lee has kept all the footage of his, often hilariously pathetic, attempts to get himself on TV. There’s the Eastleigh by-election where he ran as the Monster Raving Loony Party candidate and wandered past in the background during a news report, the time he persuaded his lesbian auntie to accompany him on John Stapleton’s The Time, The Place (a forerunner to Jeremy Kyle) and the occasion he pretended to be roller skating around the world for charity, despite the fact he couldn’t actually skate.

These days, those with kids may well recognise him from his role hosting Ross Lee’s Ghoulies on Nickelodeon and Chute! on CBBC. So with some telly pedigree at last, it seemed like an ideal time for Lee to drag out that old footage and create a show around his oddball endeavours.

Lee’s a striking figure, skinny and slight - weighing less than eight stone apparently – and akin to a camp Yorkshire Johnny Rotten in both manner and dress sense. He’s the kind of nutter who makes the Fringe; performing the show with equal amounts of amiability and gusto with a healthy dollop of the unearthly thrown in.

The result, though not the cleverest, sharpest comedy show you’ll watch this festival, is nevertheless funny, odd and beguiling to watch. Lee runs about, shoving his face up close to the front row and interspersing the clips with acted-out scenes such as the buried alive track from the BBC horror sound effects tape his beloved Granny gave him, which began his love of the macabre. Inspiration which he is still resurrecting all these years later.

Review date: 26 Aug 2009
Reviewed by: Marissa Burgess