A classic cabaret piece that is very much relevant 30 years later
THIS saucy little satire by Sue Pam-Grant and Sheena Stannard, described as a “feminist cabaret”, has lost none of its relevance nor its impact since it was devised some 30 years ago – it wears those years very lightly.
It helps when direction and performance come together effectively to extract the maximum punch from the cheeky text: Loewe keeps the pace so brisk and even, that the show’s hour-long duration seems much shorter, while Money and Cormack-Thomson inject considerable energy into their portrayals of an ill-assorted duo of waitresses/amateur cabaret artists. One represents “the Virgin”, the other “the Whore”.
One look at their respective costumes leaves the audience in no doubt as to which is which.
Topics probed none too gently in the course of the show cover a wide range: this is not just about two women reduced to the ignominy of waiting tables and performing in a cheesy “cabaret”.
Predictable sketches involving lecherous male patrons and anorectic females are interlarded with subjects of broader interest, most of them relating to women’s issues.
To vary proceedings further, there are interruptions for commercials to satisfy the sponsor, bursts of song, and even a quiz game.
Lori (Cormack-Thomson) and Lizzie (Money) exchange experiences of a personal nature, but also of universal interest: sexual abuse, loss of virginity, loo literature, marriage, social status… all this is delivered with the cattiness of two participants in a highly competitive milieu, who are new acquaintances and don’t really like each other very much. Their different personalities are projected in a context of shared discomfort, and the result is piquant and diverting, from the moment they don their footwear in readiness for the fray, to the finale when they wearily strip down to basic underwear, revealing their true selves – an exercise more honest than titillating.
A refreshing piece of entertainment that offers food for thought while eliciting many a chuckle.