Coco the Time-Travelling Tart @ Underbelly George Square

Sitting in Coco’s room-turned-taxi, amongst a sea of gleeful expectant faces, the outside world feels so distant, so boring. We’re helping Coco find her pearl earring, she’s lost it somewhere in time! Luckily, though, we're sitting in a time travelling taxi, and Coco is the raunchiest time traveller around. “Put your seatbelts on, hands in the air!” she screams, as we launch our torsos forwards and backwards, through time and space.

This is Coco the Time-Travelling Tart, showcase for the drag alter ego of Max Norman. The show is a master class in character comedy; it’s slutty, outrageous, camp, and completely insane. In no particular order, we find ourselves rifling through tombs in Ancient Egypt, drinking fizz with Marie Antoinette (pre-execution), and having a quick romp with Napoleon. We stop off at the Titanic, where Coco thinks her pearl earring might be lost somewhere in First Class. When the ship sinks, Coco finds a wooden raft (you know the one), asking singles in the crowd to come up and party with her on it. We even find ourselves hanging out with Eve in the Garden of Eden…”Do you have my earring Eve?! No? Bitch”. Each scene is highly participatory, a collaboration with trusting audience members. There isn’t a person not on side, though; we’re all head over heels in love with her at this point. 

It’s historically accurate to an extent, too. References to each time period feel well thought out and intentional. Without feeling too gimmicky, we’re taken on a hedonistic journey through time for a glamorous and debaucherous look at history.

There are some unplanned moments verging on the messy – props fall over, some interactions are clunky – but those are bound to happen in a show like this. And they’re well-navigated, as if messiness is part of the fun. If anyone can handle it, it’s Coco. 

This inventive and original show leaves you completely spellbound, led by a rare performer who can command the stage the second she walks on it. If art history, queer club culture and/or time travel are your thing, this one’s for you.

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Coco the Time-Travelling Tart, Underbelly George Square (Buttercup), until 30 Aug (not 18, 25), 9.45pm, £13.50-£15.50