DIRTY WORK

Edinburgh Festival Fringe

★★★★

“a fun, silly, and expertly crafted show”

Jessica Barton is Mary Floppins in her Edinburgh Fringe debut clowning show Dirty Work, a side-splittingly hilarious hour of singing, dancing, dirty laundry, and plenty of audience interaction. Dressed in the iconic black feathered hat and button-down shirt, she instantly taps into the nostalgia many of us carry from childhood, but with a wonderfully dirty twist.
Barton spends much of the show teaching various men from the audience how to maintain a clean and tidy household, heavily relying on volunteers to illustrate chores in the most absurdly entertaining ways. One gentleman is called upon to help fold sheets, which quickly descends into chaotic, silly prop comedy, delightfully fuelled by the volunteers’ genuine confusion. Another moment has two volunteers sorting laundry, while a third bravely models a pair of clearly-soiled underpants; though a spritz of Lynx Africa somehow renders them presentable. The whole spectacle culminates in a brilliantly funny dance, which is a show highlight and a testament to Barton’s incredible ability to orchestrate joyful chaos.

Though Barton barely speaks much throughout, her vocal skills shine when she breaks into song, revealing a stunning singing voice that confirms her status as a genuine triple threat. Her training in Musical Theatre is evident in every physical gesture and well-timed comedic beat, crafting a performance that is at once polished, playful, and effortlessly engaging.

What sets Dirty Work apart is how it perfectly balances nostalgia with edgy, adult humour. Far from feeling like a disrespectful parody, it comes across as a love letter to Mary Poppins, an affectionate, cheeky reimagining that never mocks the original but instead invites the audience to share in the joke. The character Barton embodies is prim, proper, and practically perfect in every way, which makes the contrast with the filthy, cabaret-style clowning all the more hilarious.

Audience interaction is genuinely a joy to witness. Volunteers seem enthusiastic and eager to take part, and the overall atmosphere is one of inclusive fun rather than awkwardness. Barton’s warmth and generosity create a safe space where participants feel supported rather than put on the spot, which is an impressive feat for a show so reliant on improvisation and audience participation.

There is a curious tonal shift when projected text messages, possibly from a recent ex, interrupt the comedy. These sections, alongside a lengthy vacuuming scene involving volunteers tidying up, feels somewhat at odds with the otherwise fast-paced, silly energy of the show. While it might benefit from tighter editing or a clearer integration, it also hints at a potential depth that Barton could explore more fully in future versions.

Dirty Work is a wonderfully refreshing treat at the Edinburgh Fringe: a fun, silly, and expertly crafted show that will appeal to anyone who enjoys clowning, physical comedy, or just a genuinely good laugh. Barton is a rising star and quadruple threat whose infectious warmth and razor-sharp comic instincts make this debut a real Fringe treat.

DIRTY WORK

Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Reviewed on 10th August 2025 at Delhi Belly at Underbelly, Cowgate

by Joseph Dunitz

Photography by Charlie Ashfield

DIRTY WORK

★★★

“The subject matter is urgent, and the personal lens has real potential”

Beth Paterson’s one-woman autobiographical show Niusia is built from fragments: family memories, inherited stories, and Holocaust history. It centres on her grandmother, Niusia, a Holocaust survivor who was, in Beth’s words, both heroic and “a b*tch.” The material holds undeniable weight. We learn that Niusia was born in Warsaw, later moved to Australia, and survived in part through her medical training, which led her to work under Nazi physician Josef Mengele. Alongside this history runs Beth’s complicated relationship with her own Jewishness, emphasising the “ish” in “Jewish,” and her memories of Saturday morning visits to her grandmother.

The form is collage-like. Moments about Jewish identity sit beside sections on Nazi atrocities and observations on intergenerational trauma. In theory, this fragmented structure could mirror the challenge of piecing together a family history when the person at its centre is no longer here to tell it. In practice, the show struggles to find a framework that can hold these pieces together. Without a clear through-line, it becomes difficult to track where we are in the journey or why each section arrives when it does.

Much of the delivery is heavily scripted and polished, which creates a distance between performer and audience. In a piece about discovery and memory, it can be powerful to feel as though the performer is working things out in real time, even if they are not. Here, Beth often appears to already know all the answers, which makes the storytelling feel more like a lecture than a shared experience. For a show that seems to promise a journey of learning, there is little sense of surprise or genuine exploration.

Some of the contradictions in the text are intriguing but not fully resolved. Early on, Beth claims to know very little about Judaism, yet throughout she uses Jewish terminology and makes cultural references that suggest a deeper familiarity. This could be an interesting tension to explore, but as it stands it comes across as inconsistent rather than intentional.

That said, there are moments of connection. The idea of a survivor who rejected spirituality, who was angry with both God and her faith, is compelling and could be a powerful anchor for the show. The honesty in calling her grandmother “a b*tch” sits alongside love and respect in a way that avoids easy sentimentality. And the collage form, if more clearly framed, could reflect the messy process of cultural inheritance: the odd blend of trauma, affection, ritual, and the gaps where questions have gone unasked.

As it stands, Niusia feels caught between forms. A clearer sense of Beth’s perspective, a more deliberate structure, and more space for discovery in the performance could help the audience engage with both the history and the person telling it. The subject matter is urgent, and the personal lens has real potential. With a stronger framework, the fragments could come together into something both moving and memorable.

Tag Archives: EFR25

DIRTY WORK

★★★★

Edinburgh Festival Fringe

DIRTY WORK

Edinburgh Festival Fringe

★★★★

“a fun, silly, and expertly crafted show”