Miriam Margolyes' Fringe show is more than just sex and swearing

The National

3 days ago

The theatre was unsurprisingly packed out for Margolyes and Dickens: More Best Bits, a testament to the fact that she truly is a woman who needs no introduction.
I think I can comfortably suggest that many people will turn up to the show just to hear her speak – and hoping to hear one of her renowned sweary tirades – without paying much heed to what the show is actually about.
(Image: NQ) I think this does Margolyes a massive disservice. And quite frankly, I'm rather tired of the notion that this version of her is the only version.
The Fringe show is split into two parts: the first a deep dive into the world of Charles Dickens, featuring excerpts and tales from his own life; then a Q&A featuring questions from the audience, which I suspect is why many people turn up.
I interviewed Margolyes a few weeks ago, where she gave an unflinching review on the state of the current Labour Government – and its complicity in the genocide in Gaza.
But we also spoke about Dickens, who she described as "the art" in her life. As an English Literature graduate, it was truly lovely to be swept away by her enthusiasm.
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You could hear a pin drop in the theatre as Margolyes worked through scenes from her favourite Dickens novels, gliding through her repertoire of characters without so much as a costume change. I was utterly enthralled.
She spread out these dramatic readings with tales from Dickens' own life, as well as references to her own father, who was from the Gorbals in Glasgow.
I thought it was a really nice touch to add such a personal element to these texts, to bring all of these ideas together. It felt like an ode to who Margolyes has previously described as the two most important men in her life.
Moving on to the second part of the show, we were treated to the classic outrageous version of Margolyes we know and love.
(Image: Steve Ullathorne) She could have said anything, I think, and the audience would have applauded. She gave some interesting tidbits on working on Blackadder, her thoughts on John Cleese (spoiler alert: "a c***"), and advice she would give to her younger self – "not to get fat".
But what frustrated me about this part of the show is that – with the exception of the above – the vast majority of the questions the audience submitted were about sex.
To be clear, I have zero qualms about sex positivity, or listening to people talk candidly about their sexual experiences. I think it's great that Margolyes has become known for doing so, and in turn normalising conversations around sex – particularly queer sex.
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However, it annoys me that this seems to be all people want to hear her talk about. Many people seemed to just want to listen to Margolyes tell lewd stories, rather than celebrate her career. It's a shame, and part of me thinks that she must be getting fed up of all these questions.
So for anyone looking to go and see Margolyes at the Fringe – it is undoubtedly worth your time.
But please don't dismiss the first part of the show and go just to hear her say rude words.
The show is an eye-opening reflection on how Margolyes's life has been shaped so profoundly by the world of Dickens.
It reminded me of why I fell in love with reading in the first place – and why I must never let go of that love.