The ‘G’ in Goth, the C##t in Homewares
This was actually two shows for the price of one. Bargain! The shows are quite different, which is appropriate, because they are performed by strong women with lifestyles that might be considered quite ‘different’ from the mainstream. This is Fringe. The Glasshouse is also very Fringe – a beautiful hip pub, smack bang in the middle of dark quiet industrial Collingwood. I was brightly welcomed at the side door by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence who were out having a smoke & chat and ordered a yummy meal at the bar, which I was able to take into the venue.
Lisa-Skye Ioannidis’ half of the show The G in Goth was a stand up show about her life as a Goth and was given structure by segmenting it into chapter headings, that all began with the letter G. A simple, cute device that allowed her to showcase her material and abilities in a Festival show without having to crowbar it into some limited theme, as is often the case. She began with Geek, a short and very amusing exploration of the history of the letter G and the Alphabet in general, that I must say I enjoyed. Other chapter headings included being Girly and her annoyingly cunning Greek Grandmother. She truly shone however when she settled into her favourite area of Goth music, and was just getting into her stride when her final chapter heading popped up. Gone.
Oh, I was enjoying that. Maybe I’m a bit biased, because I spent some years frequenting the Goth club Abyss and hanging out with some pretty lovely goth types but I really enjoyed Lisa’s work. She’s young and nervous and it was preview night, so with a bit more experience, and tweaking of her material to find the strongest laughs, she’ll relax and pace her material a bit better and she’s definitely going to be an interesting comedian to keep an eye on. Even now this was a very enjoyable mini fringe stand-up show.
In great contrast Megan Petrie burst onto the stage oozing confidence in blonde wig and trashy club gear as the sleazy character Hot Caz in her rather twisted absurdist story called The c@#t in Homewares which is quite literally about the adventures of a vagina in a large shopping centre called Idea. Caz’s character and her cruel treatment towards her snatch was set up in 10 to 15 minutes of very dense modern poetry, that was quite a test of an audience’s concentration. Don’t have a drink before this show, or maybe have a lot and that will help! Caz, like some vulgar Drag Queen creation, went to the Derby, a hen’s night, a wedding and an over 28 disco providing the motivation for her mistreated quim to make her escape.
When Megan took off the wig to tell the tale of Miss Muffet, the poetry calmed down a little and I was able to relax and get involved with the runaway twat marauding wild and free through the shopping centre with her friend Lady Leg Beats. Of course poetry, as seems par for the course these days led to rap at one point and there was a little singing too. This second half of tonight’s show was a challanging experience, not for everyone and a lot of the laughs did get a little lost in the language, but it was a wild and interesting Fringe experience. The show went over a little and I felt sure that a little editing might have benefitted Megan’s piece. But Megan is an amazing writer, confident performer and a creative force that will definitely grow with time. I look forward to seeing both women’s work in the future.
Visit the Fringe Website for booking details.