Edinburgh Fringe comedy review

Oh, how a little power can go to one’s head. 

Lady Bolognese are the dinner ladies from hell. With faces the colour of goblins and malevolent souls to match, this menacing duo have been given temporary charge of a junior class as the clock ticks down to 3pm.

Prowling the space, these bullies in tabards intimidate their pint-sized prey, setting down arbitrary rules and humiliating transgressors. ‘What’s Mum got what we ain’t got?’ comes an early, creepy, refrain as they indignantly grill any child foolish enough to have brought in a packed lunch.

Such moments quickly establish that the relationship between the audience and the despotic Veronica and Barbara is going to be an abusive one. Yet we can’t get enough of it.

The performers behind the facepaint, Tanika Lay-Meachen and Matt Straker, are brilliantly skilful at playing with the tension. Yes, we’re scared of them, forever wary of what they might be up to next, but not so much to completely stifle interactions. 

They create a compelling altered reality, a surreal landscape in which the grotesque creations ready themselves for seeing the mythological creature known as  ‘mummy’ now they can finally witness the end of a school day. Most importantly, however, this gothically absurd situation is very funny. 

Lady Bolognese are very skilled clowns, bringing an exaggerated physicality to their performance and Swiss-watch timing to the dialogue, twisting sentences and the situation itself unexpectedly. Weird background facts are dropped in casually, nicely adding detail, and the pair are not above some brilliantly dumb puns. 

The tension they create only heightens the impact, too, since laughing at these apparently humourless authority figures is an act of subversion. And other acts of subversion do not usually go unpunished. Nor should we overlook the contribution of the ‘thank god it’s not me’ relief whenever some other poor sap becomes their foil, especially the ‘child’ pulled out for the messy finale.

Lay-Meachen and Straker (who adopts a disconcertingly gruff voice throughout), are clearly having a ball playing with the omnipotence these ladies who lunch hold within this limited context. They don’t just serve dinner, they serve – full stop.

Review date: 13 Aug 2026
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Pleasance Courtyard