At first sight this seems and sounds very Merton and Manning but don’t be fooled as Fairburn quickly progresses beyond these Mancunian comparisons. Even if the mercy-free, quickfire delivery echoes that of the nearby (now defunct) Embassy Club. She doesn’t so much entertain us for fifty minutes as paint a vivid portrait of a rapidly gentrifying Harpurhey. Or Harpur ‘Vale’ as it seems to be known these days. At least you can’t accuse the local estate agents of being idle.
She does it with the help of several local personalities; her rival Julie Noone, mayor of Harpur Vale and (only just) runner-up in Miss Harpur Vale 2019… Aunt Cheryl who has a burgeoning social media channel (Cheryl’s Chats) exploiting her friendships with the great, good, rich and famous… Lady ‘Literally’ who’s just moved in to one of the terraced houses (purchased by her parents) vacated as a result of a compulsory purchase scheme, currently importing Yoga, flatbreads, M & S Prosecco and organic lentils into the area… and Dean the P T who’s busy promoting the manosphere to the upstairs population of the local pub, The Miser’s Hand.
It’s all observed from the salon where Leanne (Fairburn’s central character) works; Sexy Beasts, neé The Snip, neé Rhona’s. They do perform the occasional non-haircut procedures but beware you don’t end up with a new-looking arm and a slow metabolism… and definitely don’t order a Manchester wax unless you have a penchant for a strategically placed eyebrow. Every observation drips with disgust and disbelief and is funny and frequent as f-… only avoid this if the thought of a toy dog drowning in a Sports Direct mug full of Gin upsets.
Running August 6th – 30th (not 18th) https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/rachel-fairburn-vexy-beasts
Reviewer: Roger Jacobs
Reviewed: 13th August 2026
North West End UK / Theatre Muse UK Rating: