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The Ugly Animal Preservation Society 4**** - One4Review

The Ugly Animal Preservation Society 4****

| On 07, Aug 2022

The Ugly Animal Preservation Society is an actual thing, and is reaching its ten year anniversary, facts, along with many others (such as that kakapos smell good) that I learned during this entertaining and informative show.

Despite being nominally about the less well-known animals on the red list, the show steers entirely clear of the depressing bits of why they’re on the red list and about to go extinct, and instead focuses on explaining why these ‘ugly’ animals should get attention too. Host Simon Watt does an excellent job of explaining the premise of the Society, and advocating for a few of his favourite ‘ugly’ animals. He’s a bit like the lecturer who’s courses are oversubscribed because even people outside the department want in on them – excellent delivery, overflowing with knowledge, passionate and articulate.

He’s joined by two rotating guest comedians, each advocating for an ‘ugly’ red list animal each. I was treated to the ebullient Eleanor Morton delightfully introducing and extolling the virtues of the kakapo, and how to support efforts to rebuild populations, and Thom Tuck going slightly off-piste to argue the cultural notion of the eagle as an imperialist symbol should be allowed to go extinct. (Entirely in character for both comedians).

This is a strangely relaxing and entirely entertaining hour, and informative to boot.

Reviewed by Laura

Underbelly Cowgate
16:10 (not 16th)

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