Andrew Doherty’s forthcoming show at the Edinburgh Fringe, Reviewers Welcome… TO DIE!, explores the lengths a performer will go in order to avenge a middling review. To set the tone, the comedian takes us through a journey of underrated, misunderstood musical gems: from ‘Sax’ by Fleur East, to not one, but two, children’s TV theme songs.
Tiny Tim – Tiptoe Thru’ the Tulips with Me
There was a time when this wasn’t known as the creepy song from Insidious, and instead was just known as the creepy song, and it’s a goddamn banger. What’s the link to my show? It’s a lil creepy, a lil kooky, and performed by a certified slice of hot honey man beef.
Round the Twist Main Theme (From Round the Twist)
Look spoiler alert, but there might be a lil twist or two in Reviewers Welcome! Did you ever watch this Austalian TV show? There’s an episode where a fish swims into a boy’s penis and starts controlling him. My agent is Australian and refuses to apologise for her country’s cultural output
Angela Anaconda Main Theme (From Angela Anaconda)
I’m on a playlist of kids’ TV show theme tunes and had forgotten this Canadian banger. It is unconnected to the show. My parents got a VHS of this in a charity shop, which is how I, a young northern boy, became obsessed with a cult Canadian show that was not popular even in its home country.
Harry Chaplin – Cat’s In the Cradle
This is a song about someone realising they’ve wasted their life by focusing too much on their career, and haven’t focused on what’s important such as spending time with family or enjoying a cold one with their friends. This is my third year taking a show to the Edinburgh Fringe and I am single and 30. I’m not sure why I have chosen this one.
Sugababes – About You Now
This is a song about realising that you made a mistake, and actually what you had in front of you was really high quality, and you should have appreciated it, and given it a better score than three stars. It is unconnected to the show.
Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell – Building the Crate (Chicken Run Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
This is the best tune to write to or indeed do any chore to. It’s the song that plays when the chickens are building the big plane at the end, and oh my god is it empowering. You feel like you’re doing something important, when you’re actually just writing your third fringe show. If it wasn’t for this tune the show would not be written, and I’d probably be dead.
Fleur East – Sax
Firstly, it’s a banger, genuinely one of the best songs ever made. Secondly, after every line, much like in most of my show, you can ask the question “Are they talking about a penis there?”
Andrew Doherty: Reviewers Welcome… TO DIE!, Pleasance, 5–30 August, 10:50pm