Cabaret
Presented By Sharon Burgess Productions By Arrangement with United Agents
Circus Theatre
25 January 2015
Review by Evie Perry

It’s all in the name: a bit zesty and salacious, a bit of a gender bender, and all wrapped up in the glittery gown of excess.

This 60 minute show was essentially a marathon pop medley; a farrago of the songs that defined this generation. Frisky and Mannish donned wigs, roller skates and glittery socks to string together trenchant insult after pop culture reference, all laced with the bite of didactic satire. There is a fine line between obscenity and entertainment, and I think it all comes down to the big ‘T’ – Talent. In other words: it’s all fun and games until someone sings off key. However, this libidinous duo strutted across that line in heels and sneakers with glittery laces.  Frisky and Mannish were vibrant performers, flawless musicians and impeccable script writers.

They had the audience in a state of giggling whiplash, frothing at the mouth from a surfeit of pop; moment of honesty: I am impervious to pop culture. I was a dizzy babe in the scary disco woods with a wrecking ball (literally and proverbially) swinging above my head. I feel a lot of the show’s intelligence was lost on me. However, I still had an absolute ruckus of a good time. I looked around and felt that every audience member had FUN; a belly laugh at someone else’s expense, and a chuckle at themselves. It was a silly show that hid it’s intelligence. I can’t imagine what kind of meticulously calculated effort went into the formation of that musical score and script – and I don’t want to. That was the appeal of the show – a 60 minute unhindered laugh, not realising how truly sagacious a show it was. It seemed like a dizzy carefree mess, but it was tightly woven together with narrative and didactic purpose.

It is an intelligent piece of art that holds a mirror up to a culture, reveals itself to be laughable, but throws its hands in the air and says ‘we love our life anyway’. The criticism was rampant but fair, like the hearty, honest drunk aunt who tells you she can see your knickers.

Recommended for: anyone who has ever criticised Miley Cyrus while secretly singing along to ‘Wrecking Ball’ when it comes on the radio.

Frisky and Mannish: Just Too Much runs until Sunday 1st February. Tickets are here.