Words: Calum Baxter
Image: Sophie Holden
4 stars
In her debut solo Edinburgh Fringe show, The Screen Test, in 2024 Bebe Cave played an aspiring Hollywood actress. Last year saw her tackle the tragic life of a 13th century nun doomed to be burnt at the stake. In her triumphant third outing the actor and character comedian focuses on the lives of both men and women in the pre-Raphaelite era.
Founded in 1848 by artists including William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais, and Dante Gabriel Rossetti the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (PRB) rejected the artistic conventions of the Royal Academy and sought inspiration from art before Raphael, emphasizing detailed realism and vibrant colours.
Bebe Cave captivates her audience from the get-go as she embodies numerous characters effectively utilising various props and costume changes. Greeted with a warm and enthusiastic reception at the Jack Dome this evening, she breaks the fourth wall sporadically throughout her performance endearing herself to the audience by describing her thought process behind various character depictions and costume choices, as well as in responding to a few very funny prop mishaps.
An incredibly enjoyable hour from an extremely talented performer which touches on several themes related to her character’s depictions. She portrays what it must have felt like being a woman living in the mid-19th century surrounded by societal constraints and outdated beliefs and misogyny.
Bebe Cave: Swoon
Jack Dome, Pleasance Dome
17:40
Aug 7-30