Alan Cumming Presents Club Cumming

Leith Theatre

Making a one-off reappearance at this year’s EIF to close the Light on the Shore season at Leith Theatre, the number of faces spotted in the crowd at the revival of Alan Cumming’s Club Cumming from throughout the festivals suggested this raucous party was a makeshift leavers’ bash for the 2018 Edinburgh festival itself. Many of the hits of this and precious years were onstage for special, unforgettable performances, including Hot Brown Honey for some “cultural awareness training, mother**kers!” with a military rendition of their song Don’t Touch My Hair; a breathtaking, crowd-surfing display of extreme cabaret singing by Miaow Miaow, back for one night only, much like Cumming; and a turn by Dillie Keane of Fascinating Aida.

It was a Dj-led club night, a live band show for Cumming (who sang songs and performed comedy interludes) and his guests, and a celebration of all the weirdest and most wonderful cabaret performance in Edinburgh, from the transgressively amusing Jesus L’oreal Christ to the lineup of drag artists unveiled at the end, with Cumming paying tribute to the struggle and growing acceptance of trans people.

After his crooning finale of Dougie Maclean’s Caledonia and a hammering club remix of the Proclaimers, the party was over for another year.