Are you ready for Betty Grumble?

0 Grumble: Shocking, absorbing, radical and outrageous the service of a radical politics that takes aim at social oppression, global capitalism and environmental catastrophe. The guiding spirit for her second Edinburgh show is Valerie Solanas, who Mara Menzies may lull her audience with an offering of popcorn but such an Icarian fable probably isn’t going to end well. She swirls around the intimate in-the-round space, sketching out the different characters Ochosi encounters on his quest – temptress, mother – and encouraging some nonthreatening audience participation as she recounts the rise and inevitable downfall of her arrogant protagonist. FIONA SHEPHERD shot Andy Warhol. “We don’t condone that,” Grumble says, “but we do condone the revenge fantasy.”

The fantastical is where Love and Anger takes flight. The show’s overt moments of agitprop feel a bit forced and a section engaging with personal family history doesn’t quite gel. But Grumble is great at creating a space of unashamed, exuberant, creative physicality, and that’s radical in itself. Her neon maquillage pops against a monochrome backdrop scrawled with inspirational slogans and icons’ names.

And the things Grumble does in front of it – with clingfilm and glitter, yoga and the can-can, vinegar and disco – outrageously embody her politics and testify to a powerful utopian urge. It’s all presented with a heartfelt openness, an invitation to the audience to activate and collaborate, paired with the understanding that, while some will laugh and cheer, others will scratch their heads or turn up their noses.

This generosity of spirit supports the whole thing, whether Grumble is making unusual artworks for all or, in a finale to rival the show’s opening, offering a characteristically distinctive take on a classic protest song. BEN WALTERS