Julian Clary
The Joy Of Mincing
City Varieties Music Hall, Leeds.
Wednesday 11th May.
Reviewer; Karen Sutcliffe.
A full to capacity cheering audience welcomed the enchanting Julian Clary as he self admittedly minced onto stage. Standing at a surprising 6ft 3 inches tall, a statuesque immaculately dressed Clary greeted his audience as if they were old friends instantly placing them at ease before launching into his routine. ” Are you ready for some filth” sent the
audience into a frenzy as Julian began his story about the time he saved Dame Joan Collins life whilst reading a rather filthy novel at the side of her pool in the South of France. Clary burst onto the alternative comedy scene in the early 1980’s as part of the Joan Collins Fan Club but it wasn’t until they appeared together in the Christmas Pantomime Dick Whittington at The Hippodrome in Birmingham in 2010 that they first met, subsequently becoming good friends.
In the first half of the show Clary told tales of his life and his fondness for the now departed but much loved Fanny the
Wonder Dog who he described as his stooge in his earlier stand up shows. Fanny was a regular part of his show and it was clear to see his adoration for her as he still presents Fanny’s chair on stage at the side of him. Clary proceeded to explain that Fanny’s replacement ‘Valerie’ was sadly talent less so the chair now remains empty.
After a short interval and a change of clothes Clary’s second half of the show included some audience participation for which Clary personally wandered amongst the audience choosing his ‘subjects’. A bewildered and somewhat star struck trio of audience participants awaited their fate on stage as Clary proceeded to have them dress in some of his own
personal iconic outfits. Finishing the show with a self penned softly spoken song, the unmistakable yet instantly
recognisable soothing voice of Clary showed an eager audience that as he neared his 57th birthday, he wasn’t quite ready to quit the stand up theatre tours for gigs in Care Homes …..just yet.
Joy of Mincing Tour Dates ; http://www.julianclary.co.uk/
