Oh, this is a bit of a cute-meet for a drizzly Edinburgh night. With a pinch of musical theatre, a splash of cabaret, a generous dash of drag and a sprinkle of panto-style backdrops on curtain rails that never quite fully open or close, Polly & Esther promises the perfect recipe for a fun night (plus bonus makeover montage). 

The premise is simple: a touch of magic brings mother and daughter drag-duo Polly Amorous and Esther Parade together to navigate their big break as spokespeople for a shady yet well-known low-fat yogurt-based probiotic yogurt-not-yogurt drink. Chaos inevitably ensues, until they reclaim their power and stick it to the (milk) man. Along the way there are plenty of songs: both own a pretty powerful pair of pipes and their version of ‘Let Me Entertain You’ (smushing together Robbie Williams’ version with the one from Gypsy) is the mash-up we didn’t know we needed. 

Shizz gets real as the intrepid pair reach their goal (a performance at the London Palladium), but unfortunately a low-powered acting performance from Twm Bollen-Molloy as Polly means the comedy doesn’t quite catch fire here. Still, we soon hit the final musical montage and all’s right with the world, particularly as it includes the first (but probably not the last) ‘Pink Pony Club’ rendition of the festival. This is a good-hearted ode to chosen family; a fun night that shows that, even if we are all sluts for milk, we’re good enough just as we are. 

This review was originally written in 2024 for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival; Polly & Esther: Polly Amorous And Esther Parade will be performed at Gluttony from Tuesday 11–Sunday 23 March, 10pm; Main picture: Kirsten McTernan.