Marlon Brando's Corset

Marlon Brando's Corset is a black satire on the shallowness of our celebrity culture. Or to put it another way, Marlon Brando's Corset is a way over-long, badly constructed would-be satire on the shallowness of our celebrity culture which makes the error of giving its own celebrity the shallowest role.

But don't despair because Marlon Brando's Corset does have one thing going for it, a talented company that gets a lot of laughs out of its digs at the gap between a TV medical soap and real life.

There's a 'name' attached to this show, Les Dennis, and to give him his due he's fine in the underwritten role of a debt-ridden script-writer with a sour attitude to his actors. But put him opposite true Fringe heavyweight Mike McShane and he's blown out of the water. McShane is simply terrific as the soap's American director, fizzing with vulgarity and energy, not afraid of some outrageous mugging and worth the price of admission all on his own.

The younger cast members acquit themselves very well, particularly Jeremy Edward as a thick but beautiful actor who plays the lead doctor. He has a lovely comic touch. Also very good is Jim Field Smith as put-upon Jack, would be romantic lead but likely to always be the faithful side-kick. Kellie Ryan is very effective as a scheming blonde and Jennifer Tollady excellent as the strong, confident Alyson.

This really is one of those cases of gutsy comic acting making a lot out of a play which actually has very little to say. And no - I don't know what the title means either.