Maureen Lipman Is ‘Up for It’


Maureen Lipman
Assembly George Square Theatre

Maureen Lipman Is ‘Up for It’

Slinking onstage with a flashing smile and her signature wry wit, it's clear that Lipman is here to have a lot of fun and not to take herself too seriously. The self-proclaimed, "Elderly Ethnic Semitic National Treasure" is certainly showing no signs of slowing down or losing any of her charm.

Between the sonorious richness of co-star Jaqui Dankworth's singing and Lipman's own personal brand of wry storytelling, old jokes and impressions, it's surprising that the show is only an hour long and in some ways the brevity does show, as there's a distinctly evacuatory sense to the speed with which the performance barrels through, as well as to the toilet humour in abundance.

It was clear from a couple of whispers and one loud gasp that not all of the audience were entirely on the same page as some of the comedy when it came to a segue about #MeToo and the place of women in the entertainment industry, but, as with the rest of the show, the purpose is to be entertained and even the most shocking comment is only really a little link to the next rollicking song.

Fans of Lipman won't be disappointed: it's a fun show and bit of a giggle, but in a sea of wonderful acts and genuinely novel entertainments, this is a certain case of providing exactly what you expect.

Reviewer: Graeme Strachan

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