by Laura Ferguson
It is a Tuesday and people at BATS are really feeling their indulgence in tonight’s libations. Spirits are high, energy is zinging, this audience is R-E-A-D-Y and I am so here for it. When I saw the 2019 Fringe programme, I knew I had to go to Glittery Clittery, I mean it has all my favourite things: sequins, hella bops, bright colours and the clitoris. Waiting for the show to begin, people are dancing in their seats, laughing, some in front of me are taking selfies with the pink and blue neon lighting that makes you look better than any filter could. We are, in a word, lit.
The show starts and a silver shoe reflects the show lights as a black hooded figure intones a low, Gregorian-esque song. Two other cloaked silhouettes descend the stairs of the audience bringing a melodious harmony that thrums through me like an ASMR video. Then out comes the percussive instruments creating an disco-inspired beat, a cowbell and a shaker making me wiggle in my chair to the music. The third performer brings out their own shakers but hysterically finds they are not real and goes into simplistic choreography instead. The cloaks come off and we are greeted by the three pastel-haired and shining members of the Fringe Wives’ Club!
They introduce themselves (Victoria Falconer, Tessa Waters and Rowena Hutson) and their show, it’s gonna be feminist (“It’s so in to be a feminist”), political (“oh it’s just so cool to mix feminism and politics in comedy right now”) and consensual. Then comes their first song, “Full Disclosure” about how we can leave anytime. It’s brilliant, hilarious and so much fun. We are already clapping along, giggling at the funny faces Falconer pulls, the lyrics clear and easily understood. This is an incredibly well-oiled Fringe show.
Glittery Clittery never dips in enthusiasm. We have a country song about the sexist nature of not putting pockets on women’s clothing, aptly named “The Pocket Song”, a pop song about normalising the oppressive behaviours women face (“Change It Up”), we even have an anatomy-based game show. Oh, holy Captain Marvel, I love it all so much.
The game show gets people from the audience to come up and play The Lagoon of Mystery which I have italicised in the hopes one day this game show is on TV for all to see. I really want to gush about this portion which included hilarious improv from all three performers and great repartee with the audience, but I’ll leave it to discover for yourselves. I will summarise by saying that of all my favourite parts of the show (and it’s the whole thing, so it’s really difficult), this was my favouritest favourite. The blend of hosting, scripted work, visual jokes, musical improv, audience interaction, and educational merit was just so incredible to watch. And it all felt so easy, Falconer, Waters and Hutson really know how to command a stage, even with slightly too enthusiastic volunteers.
We delve into a another song called “Feminist Fuckboi” which so beautifully details the oxymoronic pseudo-feminist people you often find on dating apps (see above how in it is to be a feminist at the moment). Having personally experienced this specific set of behaviours I laughed and laughed and laughed.
The hour flies by and how are we already at the last song?! We are reminded that the feminist fight may be exhausting and it may be difficult and it demands incessant repetition, but we are all capable of achieving a more equitable society, that this change is coming as long as we keep our tenacity, our strength, our bubbling fury. The audience claps along and there is an indomitable spark of “Fuck, yeah!” in the theatre. The song ends, as does the show and we give thunderous, raucous applause, most of us springing from our seats for a well-deserved standing ovation.
Fringe Wives’ Club: Glittery Clittery was even more than I wanted it to be. It faces social issues head-on but makes everything fun and uplifting along the way. Falconer, Waters and Hutson were dynamic and hilariously entertaining. Sorry previous favourite show of Fringe, this is my new bae and we’re about to have a night dedicated to 8,000 nerve endings.
Fringe Wives Club: Glittery Clittery, a Consensual Party is playing until Saturday 23rd of March. You can book tickets here. If you can’t get enough of these performers, you can also catch Victoria Falconer’s solo show, Oxymoron is also playing until Saturday 23rd of March at BATS. You can find tickets for that here.