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Comedians are always on the lookout for experiences that they can turn into an Edinburgh show. For Diane Spencer that inspirational experience was an Edinburgh show in the first place. Power Tool is the story of her writing Nancy Dell’Olio’s so-bad-it-was-hilarious 2014 Fringe debut juxtaposed with the trauma of doing up a new house that turned into the renovation-from-hell.
Spencer took on the Italian's job because she needed the money for the house. It is never quite explained how she was chosen, though I did wonder briefly if maybe the Italian celebrity thought she was actually hiring someone related to Princess Diana. Nothing could be further from the truth. Spencer is a potty-mouthed comic with a neat line in accents and smutty self-deprecation.
Nancy was small but larger than life and never suited to doing the Fringe. She was really aiming for a TV chat show, but alarm bells should have rung for Spencer when she said that she wanted to do a chat show where the guests interviewed her and not the normal way round. Further alarm bells should have rung when, after submitting a list of possible titles, the star chose the meaningless Rainbows From Diamonds.
Spencer also points out that maybe a prerequisite for hosting a chat show in England is the ability to speak clear English. She portrays her employer as someone whose English was exotic at the best of times and, at times on the Gilded Balloon stage, lost a grip on reality. But then Dell’Olio seems to live a kind of unreal life, according to Spencer, who illustrates her behaviour beautifully with some jaw-dropping anecdotes. There is great comic material here and Spencer shapes it well, switching from her domestic travails to her showbiz stress with impressive ease.
The 2014 show did open and despite Dell’Olio going off-script, taking an eternity to do costume changes behind a screen and generally demonstrating her lack of suitability for Edinburgh it did get audiences. Though Spencer suggests some people went just to see how bad it was. Dell’Olio was the talk of the town, but not in the way she would have hoped. The irony is that the story is told so well you actually feel you want to see Rainbows From Diamonds.
Power Tool is a great show that deliciously lifts the lid on modern celebrity culture. It would also make a great movie, maybe even a West End musical a la The Producers. But even if that didn’t happen at least something good has come out of the experience for Spencer. She earnt the money to do up her house.
Until Aug 31. Tickets here.
