Way back in the mists of time “interpretive dance” was a by-word for pretentious Fringe shows – which comics used to use as a punch-line.

I can’t remember ever seeing any actual interpretive dance, but I can remember lots of comics threatening to do it.

Well, the good news is, Phil Ellis, ever the innovator, has revived the art of interpretive dance as part of his show.

He’s also doing clowning, mime, musical comedy, improvised rapping, observational comedy, crowd work, TikTok sketch comedy – and actual rock songs, with a band.

Always one with an ear to the zeitgeist Phil has also jemmied in a long sad, possibly untrue segment about his own mental health.

His show is a satire of every type of comedy show you can see on the Fringe, which is gloriously inept, shambolic and hilariously funny at the same time.

Phil hams up his desperation, banging at the doors of showbiz acclaim, pleading to be let in.

He throws in grimly depressing details of his real life – the empty fridge, the stain on the carpet, the trudge around the comedy circuit.

And he chucks in some heart-warming stories about his family – which always resolve into some sort of crushing disappointment.

This show is an existential howl of despair, an apocalyptic one man variety show where the performer watches his dreams of glory die, one after another.

And then there’s the songs.

Backed by Cammy Sinclair on drums and Cammy Phair on guitar, Phil Ellis intersperses his anti-comedy with full throated rock and pop classics, belted out while he dances, leaps and soars around the stage.

The band crease up with laughter as Ellis crashes from one disaster to the next, muttering a stream of insanely silly commentary about everything which is happening in the room.

When a joke goes badly – it’s a triumph – when a joke goes well – it’s a triumph.   Ellis uses everything he possibly can to make this desperate shambles fly.  And it does.

As he sings Ellis charges back and forth in this tiny vomit-scented room contorting his body into impossible shapes.  This isn’t something he has copied from elsewhere – this is his creation.

The interpretive dance, it has to be said, is a triumph.

Until August 27. Info here.

Read more reviews here.

four stars