George, Don’t Do That…The Joy of Joyce Grenfell
★★★☆☆ Rewarding
The Royal Scots Club (Venue 241): Tues 19 – Sat 23 Aug 2025
Review by Hugh Simpson
George, Don’t Do That…The Joy of Joyce Grenfell evokes a vanished social milieu with tunefulness and humour. The show, from Arkle at the Royal Scots Club each afternoon of the Fringe’s final week, is a compilation of the work of Joyce Grenfell (1910 – 1979) – the writer, actor and singer.
Grenfell is best remembered for her monologues dissecting mid-20th century upper-middle-class attitudes, and for appearing in the St Trinian’s films. More than fifty years after she stopped performing, she has faded a little from the public consciousness, but clearly retains a place in the heart of many. It is also difficult to imagine Victoria Wood or Miranda Hart without her lead.
Rae Lamond with Willie Campbell on keys. Pic: Rob Shields.
This collection of her songs and monologues is cleverly chosen and performed by Rae Lamond (from an original concept by Michael Mulligan) with piano accompaniment by Willie Campbell.
Although the world evoked by some of the content has disappeared, there is a definitely a recognisable element to many of them – not least the nursery teacher in the piece that gives this production its name, losing her temper ever so politely with her misbehaving charges.
Throughout, the fun that is being poked at people’s expense is essentially kind, but there is certainly some bite. The portrait of a children’s author clearly based on Enid Blyton, churning out formulaic tosh unthinkingly while her husband counts the money, is distinctly savage.
assured and skilful
There is also pathos, not least in the portrait of a woman stuck looking after an ailing, ungrateful father and on the phone to an unsympathetic lover. This vignette deals with repressed, disappointed lives in a similar way to Terence Rattigan or Noël Coward.
Lamond’s performance of the sketches is assured and skilful, not falling into the trap of trying to impersonate Grenfell too slavishly. However, perhaps there is a little too much reverence for the originals, and the result can unavoidably seem too much like a reproduction rather than a living performance in its own right.
Rae Lamond. Pic: Rob Shields.
The songs, such as I’m Going to See You Today or Old Tyme Dancing (aka Stately As a Galleon) definitely take on a life of their own, being performed with wit and zest, and accompanied by Campbell with glee.
Gillian Robertson’s direction and the technical work of Rob Shields give the production a shape and appearance that make for a cohesive whole, and the time fairly flies by.
some very funny stuff
The piece is entirely a collection of Grenfell’s work; Lamond speaks to the audience in between, but only with short introductions. There is no information offered about Grenfell’s life, and only the tiniest of snippets about her work. Anyone coming to the show with no knowledge about her would come away knowing little more, except that she wrote some very funny stuff.
Instead, this is simply a chance for Grenfell aficionados (still clearly a sizeable constituency) to experience some favourite moments live, and on that score it certainly delivers.
Running time: 50 minutes (no interval).
The Royal Scots Club (Hepburn Suite), 29-31 Abercromby Place, EH3 6QE. (Venue 241).
Tuesday 19 – Saturday 23 August 2025.
Daily: 3.30 pm.
Tickets and details: Book here on EdFringe.com.
Arkle website: arkle-theatre.com/
Facebook: @ArkleTheatreCompany
ENDS
