Joan Rivers is without a doubt the biggest name appearing at this year’s Fringe.  This makes her show ‘Joan Rivers: A Work in Progress by a Life in Progress’ one of the hottest tickets in town.  On the afternoon I reviewed there was a full audience in attendance and although they varied in age it has to be said the majority seemed to veer slightly more towards the ‘mature’ end of the scale.  Some may have been familiar with her work and jumped at the chance to see her live whereas others may have simply turned up to see the ‘big name’ in person.  Personally, I admit a mixture of both.  The good thing about the Fringe is that it sometimes throws up the opportunity to see big names in small venues, and it would be madness to pass up such an opportunity. But what about the show?  Was it any good?  Well . . . yes.  Very good in fact.  The show is a theatrical piece and the action takes place in a dressing room as Rivers gets ready for her latest red carpet role.  As she is worked on she breaks away from the other actors to speak directly to the audience about her experiences in showbusiness thus far, allowing us an insight into life through a Hollywood lens.  Rivers’ acidic wit is readily displayed through the material she delivers however what is more surprising is the seam of tragedy which also underlies her storytelling.  Fame may be sought after by many but apparently it rewards very few, even those who could be considered to have ‘made it’. It’s an utterly riveting show.  So much so that even when the microphones went 20 minutes before the end, leaving the audience struggling to hear, nobody left.  Instead a hush fell across those gathered as we all listened intently to Rivers’ moving monologue.  The superficiality of fame has never had more substance behind it. *****