Whilst stately Prestonfield House has held a Fringe venue number for several years, this year, the 5-star retreat of the somewhat wealthy is raising its game. The Fringe at Prestonfield 2023, is hosted by Christopher Biggins, and features a slew of names, some of whom would probably balk at a windowless basement with a noisy air-con unit. Michael and Hilary Whitehall likely fall into that category, but in the extremely comfortable surrounds of the Prestonfield stables they took the stage August 19th.
Essentially a live-delivered episode of their podcast, The Wittering Whitehalls, the format is simple. In the run up, listeners are invited to submit questions, and the Whitehall’s answers form the body of the show. Throw in a few video-recorded questions from celebrity friends, and you have the shape of their Fringe appearance.
Now, it seems hugely unlikely that many people would have made the trip out to Prestonfield without knowing who the Whitehalls are, and what they are like. Suffice to say they were precisely as you’d expect, Hilary buoyant as a helium balloon given life takes the lead, whilst Michael, wit as dry as a crisp Chenin holds court with his very particular view of the world.
We won’t delve into the specifics of question and answer here to avoid spoiling future shows in the run, however the Whitehalls answer precisely as you’d expect them to. Hilary enthusiastically seeks a sensible, kind response, whilst Michael cuts directly to his particular brand of practical wisdom. She also prompts her husband into a few anecdotes of his time as a highly successful talent agent, and musings on family holidays gone (in his opinion) wrong.
This live take on The Wittering Whitehalls is an evergreen format, which probably saw its zenith in the 1990’s, but which will never truly die. They are perfectly good hosts for such an undertaking, engaging, amusing, and all round good sorts. The celeb skits, you’ll be amazed, don’t seem like spontaneous contributions, but it’s a bit of fun all the same.
What is clear is that the first question asking where Winston was, probably made the questioner’s Fringe when Hilary produced Winston and made them his babysitter for the show. Hilary’s ready supply of home made preserves brought to reward question-providing DL’s (Dear Listeners, how they refer to their podcast devotees), is also a very sweet touch.
In the end, this audience with Michael and Hilary Whitehall was perfectly fitted to audiences who know and appreciate them. This wasn’t an event to win new fans, and that’s fine, though there’s clear scope to develop their offering if they so wished. First on my list would be to take the safety catch off the questioners. Wholesome and whimsical is great, but a seasoning of left-field spice would change things up.
However, if Michael and Hilary Whitehall decide not to fix things that aren’t broken, then fair play!
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