Many moons ago I caught Jessie Cave’s first Edinburgh Fringe solo show, bookwork, it was a thoroughly enjoyable piece of comedy theatre made more amusing by the fact that it wasn’t exactly a solo show – Jessie’s younger sister Bebe had been sat silently on stage in a Wendy house until it was time for her big reveal.

I hadn’t thought about this show much until a few months back when I doing my insomniac bit and looking for something to watch at about 3am. I came across a movie called Tale of Tales (Actually well worth a watch) which featured both Bebe and Jessie Cave.

So when someone mentioned that they were again performing together at this years Fringe I was already primed to catch the run.

Cave Women is a straight two-hander with the sisters essentially performing a series of scenes from their life over the last few years.

Running throughout the performance is the issue of dealing with grief  but this is not a sombre piece of drama. It shows the true reaction of real people who don’t know exactly how to deal with grief or how long they are supposed to feel this way for. Whilst that is taking place there are scenes from every day life as the world continues to turn.

This is a funny, heart-warming and captivating piece of theatre that is only improved by the charm of it’s two stars.

Never do they capture the sister experience more accurately than with the “extracts from a fight” scenes where they trade catty barbs, that only a sister could get away with. 

As this was a work in progress show there were also mistakes, but the only reason I mention them is that watching them break character to have an aside pop only added to the theme of the show – “she is furiously scribbling down stage directions for me as I talk, it’s so passive aggressive!” – “that’s only because you keep f*cking up!”

This was a brilliant work in progress show and the perfect start to our final Friday at the Fringe. I cannot wait to catch the finished version and to see what the future holds for these two incredibly talented performers.

Clown Stars: (- unrated -)

 @Just the Tonic – Edinburgh