Re: Tale
D’Ree and Dash are typical retail bimbos. In Re: Tale we observe them in their natural habitat.
This show utilized the stereotype of the fashion retail salesgirl to its full comedic potential. All the salesperson clichés were included in the script and by combining the comedy of high repetition with high volume bimbo screeching, these intensity of these two characters was cranked up to eleven. Anyone who had encountered such retail types in the real world was sure to find them hilarious in a “It’s funny because it’s true” way. Even if you haven’t had to deal with women like them, the over the top delivery was sure to tickle your funny bone.
The stage was set up in an interesting configuration, almost as if they were performing in the round. Audience seating was placed along opposing walls and the action centered around a large display table with garment racks at either end. The girls worked the space brilliantly and rarely performed exclusively to only one side. The two girls usually interacted with each other from opposite ends of the table, allowing the audience to effectively eavesdrop on their conversations. When they did address the audience it was as if they were serving customers. Even though their questions to the punters were purely rhetorical, the way they engaged with individual audience members had many punters not knowing quite sure if they should answer back.
The show was more than just an endless procession of vacuous ramblings that, while amusing in their delivery, weren’t quite enough to carry the show. A subplot that explored the relations between female friends and work colleagues added an extra dimension to the script. This resulted in some brilliant conflict that came to ahead in the most creative and over the top manner with some silly wrestling and inappropriate weapons. Greater depth was added to the characters by offering us an insight into what lurks beneath the vacant exterior, revealing their dirty secrets when they were alone. My only gripe was that there wasn’t a clear sense of resolution at the end, the characters ended as the same clichés they were at the beginning but this lack of growth was surely the whole point of the show.
Hayley Butcher and Katrina Mroz played the girls with plenty of gusto, camping and vamping it up to bring these extreme girls to vivid reality. In their execessively layered clothing and fake tans, they traded plenty of creative insults that were crude and contained plenty of four letter words. They performed their endless sales spiels often in comical stereo. We were treated to some wonderfully wacky dancing that tried and failed at being seductive. Even the odd funny facial expression was enough to set some punters giggling.
This was a brilliantly executed performance that had the crowd, particularly the young females, in stitches throughout.
Visit the Fringe Website for booking details.