Dave Simpson
Broken Echo Theatre Compan
30 Jul 10 to 31 Jul 10
The Dancehouse Theatre
In their backstage dressing rooms, the competing girls eye each other in a cockpit of tension and jealousies.
Out front, their hopes, fears and frictions are orchestrated by contest organiser Jack Bailey as each of them run the gauntlet of the catwalk and interviews.
Roving eyes (and roving hands) prepare to lead them into battle...
...a multi-faceted play that has you laughing and cringing at Bailey’s misogyny and pervertedness one minute while smacking you in the face with each girls own personal turmoil the next... fantastic character acting performed by the whole cast... the pace of the play seemed to slow down a little in the second half... a sterling performance by the cast, excellent direction by Helen Parry, and hilarious one-liners and insults all round...
The Public Reviews
(Rating: 5/5)
Under the direction of Helen Parry, the show glides along as effortlessly as one of the contestant’s gowns and it makes for a very enjoyable evening... Its even balance of drama and sharp humour elevate this to more than just a Friday night hen party show... Katie McArdle provides the comedy relief with great flair... Penny McDonald and Mark Sheals (who gets creepier as the show goes on as the club’s owner and compere) are wonderful... Jennifer Jordan O’Neill... gives one of my top ten performances of the year...
What's On Stage
(Rating: 4/5)