Review – The Talking Vagina (Ver 2)!
Went to comedy show The Talking Vagina, which is part of The 2009 Melbourne International Comedy Festival. I saw this show last year when my friend Daniel Rice was acting in it. I reviewed it in this blog here. I thoroughly enjoyed it last time. This time Daniel was directing it (it was his directorial debut!). It is hard to compare the two because this time there was a smaller and partly different cast and the venue was not exactly theatre friendly.
I enjoyed myself tonight as well. The roles of Jessica and her “fou fou” Frank were played by the same actors. They were just as funny this time but must saying I liked Frank last time better with the beard! Better suited to play a fou fou as described in the dialogue. In my reivew from last year I mentioned that I loved the Mr Wong character heaps, so I was disappointed that it was a different actor. The new Mr Wong took a bit to warm to, but he had some golden moments. Still I preffered the old one.
The set was as bare as you could get this time (even more so than last year) but it worked well enough. I really liked the scene where Jessica’s boyfriend Edward was helping Frank record a voice demo under the sheets while Jessica was sleeping.
The fou fou group meeting scene was also better last year, but if anything it was because there were more actors to play more characters than this year. But I really should stop comparing because they are so different. What I got tonight was a more casual approach (intentional?) and once or twice the actors got the giggles and lines were probably muffed (pun intended). Was quite amusing and well done for the improv and reigning it back in. At one point the actor who plays Mr Wong was doing another character but after getting the giggles went into the Mr Wong accent by mistake. Saved it somehow. FUNNY.
The crowd was pretty big and everyone had a good laugh, including me. Don’t know how to do a proper review. Congrats to Dan for directing his first show!
Review – The Talking Vagina (play)
Last night I went to see a comedy play called The Talking Vagina!!
Jessica, the best children’s book illustrator in all of Brunswick West, just wants to get the job done. Life starts to unravel when her secret is revealed to her new boyfriend, Edward, and her new client, Mr Wong – Jessica has a talking vagina. A ‘fou fou’ named Frank. And Frank has dreams to rival Jessica’s. After a hairy life repressed in Jessica’s hightop knickers, he’s not about to shut up.
Written & Directed by Michele Lee
It was part of the 2008 Melbrourne Fringe Festival and my friend was in it. I try to make it to some of his shows but I’m not really much of a theatre going anymore so usually excuse myself one way or another.
But I was really glad I went last night and it was the closing night as well. I never know what to make of play titles or their blurbs so I tried not to think too much of it and go into it with an open mind, pardon the pun.
Anyway, the play was excellent!!! The small cast played to a full house and there were belly laughs applenty. The humour was clever (if not a little dirty but hey, that’s the subject matter). Actually, it was right up my alley (again, pardon the pun!). The set was minimal and effective, with fairly seemless scene transitions.
All the main characters were funny, especially Mr Wong (nice Mandarin) and of course my friend Daniel Rice who played Edward, the boyfriend. His comedic timing and physical acting was spot on. He also played a girl character disturbingly well!
The play was short and sweet and with laughs throughout. Left with a grin on my face.
