Coco’s Time Travelling Tart ★★★★☆

★★★★☆ Coco’s Time Travelling Tart

Coco’s Time Travelling Tart is crazy, camp and an absolute laugh-a-minute ride through history. It’s funny, silly frivolity that knows exactly what it is doing, even when it looks like everything might be gloriously flying off the rails.

Coco takes the audience on a historical journey through time, aided by a rather magical time-travelling device that reveals itself as the show unfolds. It’s a wonderfully ridiculous premise, but beneath all the madness is a surprisingly clear storyline and some very clever writing.

There are moments of improvisation scattered throughout, giving the performance that unpredictable Fringe energy, but the strength of the script ensures the show always remains on its intended trajectory. The balance works beautifully: enough spontaneity to make each performance feel alive, while still maintaining a strong narrative from beginning to end.

And it is genuinely funny. There are proper laugh-out-loud moments throughout, with Coco confidently delivering comedy that moves between smart historical references, outrageous sexual puns and delightfully stupid silliness. It’s comedic work that understands sometimes the cleverest thing you can do is fully commit to being ridiculous.

Art, history, drag and queer themes are thrown into the time machine alongside sexual innuendo, cheeky audience interaction and plenty of sly giggles. Somehow, it all comes out the other side as one cohesive, joyfully bonkers show.

If your ideal Fringe experience involves learning a little, laughing a lot and watching history get a fabulously queer makeover, climb aboard Coco’s time machine.

Just don’t expect history to emerge with its dignity intact.

★★★★☆ Four stars