Rob Madge: My Son's a Queer (But What Can You Do) ★★★★★

What happens when the magic of childhood is challenged by an inexperienced production team and primary school teachers who just don’t have the artistic vision you do? Social Media sensation Rob Madge has such a tale.

If you’ve ever heard of Disney or love musicals, you’d be insane to miss My Son’s A Queer (But What Can You Do) at the Edinburgh Fringe. Madge’s autobiographical story starts from birth (to ensure absolutely nothing is missed out), and presents an array of childhood home movies which tell the tale of his rise from theatrical toddler to West End child star, all culminating in the presentation of a fully produced Disney parade in their living room at the age of 12.

This tale is not one of a young protégé, oh no, it is abundantly clear that Rob was able and in charge of the full production, lights, costumes, wigs and most importantly camera as soon as he was old enough to talk. But where do you find the team to support such a level of production when you haven’t even started school yet? Well you recruit using those closest to you of course, namely your Mum and Dad. The sub-story of Mr and Mrs Madge’s long-suffering life raising young Rob is almost as hilarious as the facial expressions and exquisitely comical delivery of this 1-hour masterpiece from a now 26-year-old Madge.

Their story of growing up in a world where we are only offered the choice of dressing and behaving like a boy or a girl and nothing in between, was heart-touching and all-too-real, and so at the times when you aren’t wiping tears of laughter from your eyes, you’ll be reaching for the Kleenex to shed a tear or two for the plight of those who didn’t grow up with incredibly supportive and protective parents as Madge did. (A quick shout out to all the allies out there such as Mr and Mrs Madge who are helping us make this world a better place for everyone to live in, no matter their gender or how they identify! Xx)

If you make time for this completely unique and brilliantly poignant show, we promise you’ll laugh, laugh even harder, cry and laugh again before joining the rest of the audience inside the Underbelly Cow – George Square, for a well-deserved standing ovation.

Is there anything better than a show which produces all that emotion and a level of production never seen before in a two-up two-down on a cul-de-sac in the Midlands, all in an hour? The Recs thinks not.