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“Kinda busy just whimsymaxxing!”
That’s one way to sum up Bebe Cave’s hour-plus this year at Fringe (and just how long could this show be if she really took her whimsy to the max???), and she’s the one summing it up that way.
Her show provides us with a beautiful mess of a backstory to the early 1850s painting of Ophelia on display at London’s Tate Britain. Cave portrays not only Lizzy, the real model for the painting, but also her sister who wanted to be the model, and the male artists who swooned over her. The production design allows Cave to play all of the parts with aplomb, and also with that sense of whimsy that means that any misstep may result in a slew of ad-libbed laugh lines. Amongst all of the gags, Cave also delivers a wittingly withering commentary on male attitudes toward the arts, sciences, and women, both then and now.
On the day I attended, she said she’s still having to cut jokes and characters for timing purposes so she doesn’t run over into the next show’s timeslot. But hopefully we’ll get to see her full vision for this show eventually on tape.
Cave’s fictional Bertrude may be based on her own jealousies (Cave’s older sister, Jessie, has two shows at this Fringe and the Harry Potter films in her CV). But Bebe doesn’t have to be a pick-me girl. She’s worthy and super funny just as she is.
Bebe Cave: Swoon plays Jack Dome at the Pleasance Dome during the 2026 Edinburgh Fringe.
