Ex-Alan Partridge star set to bring daring show to the Edinburgh Fringe
“When you’re heavily into an artist, their voice can become a sensory pleasure,”
Mel Hudson was starring alongside Steve Coogan and Catherine Tate at the height of her comedy journey, whilst co-creating as many as four Radio 4 series as the wonderful Hudson and Pepperdine. Now that she’s back with a bang, and in multiple senses, with a show that's about her libido, she’s gearing up for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival; but this time, solo.
(Solo in another sense) For an extended period, she wasn’t dating. Meaning our Mel didn’t chase romance after her divorce; she appreciated opportunities to travel alone and experienced life in a new way. She resigned (so she says) to her life as a “cat lady.”
But that’s not how things turned out. She’s found a bridge back to the “two-player video game that is life,” and it happens to be ex-frontman from The Verve, Richard Ashcroft. She explains, “When you have a crush on a rock star, it’s a gateway drug, leading you back to men in general.” He’s the reason she's dating again.
So, what does she find so appealing about the man who penned Bitter Sweet Symphony? Well, Mel posits that the Brit-pop icon triggers the nurturing instinct in women, perhaps due to the vulnerabilities she feels he has, stemming from childhood. She’s also drawn to his singing voice.
“When you’re heavily into an artist, their voice can become a sensory pleasure,” Mel shares, “…and he sings with his whole soul.”
Asked if she hopes Richard Ashcroft is coming to see the show, she pauses as if basking in the possibility, declaring unequivocally, “Of course I do,” and quips, “That’s the whole point.” “Nothing would give me a greater sense of pleasure than for him to come and see my show… for him to find out what he means to me.”
She’s performing her show, called Mel Hudson: Richard Ashcroft Revived My Libido, for 25 days at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Her first preview performance is on the 5th of August, with tickets available presently.