In an ode to the music that shaped their life as a performer, Aidan Sadler brings their hit tribute act Moonage Rhapsody to the Edinburgh Fringe. Picking their favourite songs from David Bowie and Queen’s discographies, Sadler takes the audience on a nostalgic whistle-stop tour of some of the best music of the 1970s and 80s.
Not making the show easy for themselves, Sadler picks the incredibly difficult Cool Cat after belting out Moonage Daydream. On the whole, Sadler succeeds in convincingly mirroring the sound of both Bowie and Mercury, only occasionally losing Ziggy Stardust’s iconic twang. The singer also adopts a disc jockey role, giving each song an introduction regarding its significance to their life, imbuing the show with added charm.
Mishaps like a missed verse on Space Oddity or confusion at the set order hold the show back somewhat, but Sadler takes these fumbles in their stride. Taking the place of co-star pianist Natasha Panas is cabaret veteran Dusty Limits, who appears all too briefly, gracing the audience with his camp confidence and dramatic delivery – later found smoking a superking cigarillo around the corner.
Despite some hang ups, there are times when the light is just right and everything fades away, leaving Sadler floating on stage in a moment of glam-rock magic. Moonage Rhapsody lacks a lot, but character and heart it delivers in spades.
Moonage Rhapsody, The Voodoo Rooms, until Aug 17 (not 11), 7.50pm