House of Life / #1 Son – Natasha Mercado at Underbelly Cowgate – Edinburgh Fringe reviews

Two late-night shows, playing almost back-to-back at the same venue at the Edinburgh Fringe, see their audiences transformed into a congregation. A double-dose of religious fervour, the first of these is Sheep Soup’s House of Life, which sees the so-called RaveRend lead a high-octane sermon that feels like a TedTalk with an added shot of glittery adrenaline.

Hopping into the crowd and asking audience members various questions about what sparks joy, what visions they have for their future and what hopes they harbour, it’s the sort of glib, affirmation-laden stuff that pumps all the right feel-good vibes into the room. With some thumping tunes to accompany proceedings, Sheep Soup create an infection sousón of earnest validation. It’s let down, somewhat, by a hurried ending – just as the RaveRend bares his own soul, our fascination is snatched away.

If House of Life is based on a sense of communal release, then #1 Son is grounded in a sense of collective terror. Playing later into the evening, LA clown Natasha Mercado invites us to join her first mass as she is inducted into the Catholic church. The problem is she can’t connect to God, and she’s prone to transforming into an anarchic demon that steals from the crowd.

There are some wry devices at play, for sure: Mercado fixates on audience members, making them feel skin-crawling embarrassed or brazenly gung-ho about joining in with her profane, and witty, hijinks. It’s a testament to Mercado’s belief in her congregation – where she leads, we follow. Some punters had their clothes taken off. Others were invited to join Mercado and explore the Eiffel Tower (and no, not the landmark). I can honestly say I’ve never felt more exhilaratingly exposed in the entire Fringe: there was a very real sense that anything could happen.

In a year where a number of shows are swaddled in Catholic guilt, it’s funny how, ultimately, the two shows use the communal experience to experiment with new methods of performance. Both end with a call for rebirth, acknowledging that we can’t go on in the same ways.

Mercado’s show is a certified mess on some levels, but intrinsically entertaining on many others. House of Life, on the other hand, manufactures its joy with clinical ease. Mass enjoyment, either way.

#1 Son – Natasha Mercado: ★★★
House of Life: ★★★