Sans partner-in-crime Mannish, Fringe icon and cabaret diva Laura Corcoran aka Frisky, makes a grand return to the city and in her usual haunt of the Palais du Variété. Frisky’s Reshuffle is a kinetic, unapologetically playful showcase of her sharp instincts and newfound (somewhat) maturity on the mic. After years of threatening to do so, Frisky (a self-described ‘recovering perfectionist’) makes the leap with their solo adventure; accompanied by a spiffing four-piece band, naturally.

Delivering punchlines with gleeful velocity, Frisky’s Reshuffle is a toss-up of format, genre and vocal style to turn your favourite songs into Frankenstein creations. Some of them work. Others? They shatter expectation, erupt as monsters not even their creator can contain: who would have suspected ‘Like A Virgin’ works as an Emo cover? Unquestionably gifted in their vocal delivery and lyrical concoctions, the most grabbing element continues to be Frisky’s dexterity in crowd work. Jokes aren’t just delivered, they’re sculpted in real time, shaped by gasps, giggles and the occasional heckle. There’s warmth, too; a sense that the audience isn’t a passive spectator but a co-conspirator in the madness.

Swaddled by a Fringe that’s welcoming back one of its chaotic charms, Frisky’s evolution isn’t over: exhilarating, imperfect and brimming as it is with possibility. For this metamorphosis from pop punk to matriarch of musicality is far from a swansong. It’s a crescendo, building to an inevitable high note which Frisky has been unsure of finally releasing into the world. Time to belt it out. 

Frisky’s Reshuffle, Assembly George Square Gardens, until Sunday 24 August, 9.55pm; main picture: Jiksaw.