Arts Club Theatre
September 7, 2006 8:45pm
With a rhyming script, tear-away costumes, and pasties, Burlesque prances onto stage at this year's Fringe. The nursery rhymes of your childhood take on a decidedly adult twist as Mother Goose, her sister Grimm, and the rest of the sexy cast of Screaming Chicken Theatrical Society re-enact them in Freudian ways.
Our narrator and host is Mother Goose who is a cross between Mae West and Marilyn Monroe. She's the best actress, with a voluptuous delivery, and naughty but nice charm. Sister Grimm is also good as the dark and kinky counterpoint to Goose with a Goth attitude. Each of them try to outdo the other in telling the audience their nursery rhymes.
Humpty Dumpty was the least erotic nursery rhyme of the evening. Which isn't surprising given that it really is a gruesome tale of death and dismemberment. And the budget probably didn't allow for all the king's horses and all the king's men to appear on stage.
The homoerotic portion of the evening was featured in the nursery rhyme of Jack Sprat. Jack's rotund wife was played by a man, and Jack is eventually stripped down to his fig leaf.
Little Miss Muffet is seductively stripped and wrapped in the Black Widow Spider's sheer silk before she meets a gruesome end as her brunch. Anne Rice would approve.
The Empress' New Clothes drags during the dance sequences expressing the Empress' appreciation of the nebulous garments. Maybe a little more practice in spinning her tassles would liven up this fairy tale.
Three Maids in a Tub is more comic than erotic with the imbibing butcher, baker, and candlestick maker really feeling the intoxicating effects of their hot tub.
Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep to a leather clad cowgirl. As the two lustily dance off to win the sheep's affections, Cowgirl has a wardrobe malfunction when she pops out of her leather bra. Good thing for pasties and body paint. Or bad depending on your point of view.
Overall, it's entertaining if a bit uneven with some opening night jitters. Recommended, especially if you feel nostalgic for Benny Hill.
Rating: Two garters and a pasty.
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