Reviews

Panti (Rory O’Neill) is a flamboyant persona whose drag queen performance lives up to all the traditional expectations: extravagant costuming and make-up, lip-synching, singing, dancing and adoration of glamour and glitz. However, there is a less common dimension to Panti’s stand-up routine. The highly political nature of Panti’s material has meant she has become a serious advocate for the LGBTI community.

Self-confessed Grammar Nerd Louisa Fitzhardinge has created this clever word based cabaret, looking at grammar, spelling, punctuation and language.

Personable, intelligent and self-deprecating, Louisa quickly formed a bond with her late-night audience, a crowd with an appreciation for a well placed comma and appropriately applied apostrophe.

Accompanied by Greg Lavell on piano and piano-accordion, Louisa’s gorgeous renditions of her original songs and witty parodies, were delightful, and very warmly received.

“Time bends” as Shona Anderson takes you on a journey through her memories scattered across time and space. She explores different attitudes she has encountered towards gender roles, race and religion.

“The show is inspired by and is sort of a theatrical memoir of my travels and in particular a cycle trip I took with my then partner in 2014. We spent several months in the Balkans,” explains Shona.

This ‘Flaming Locomotive’ Fringe World venue is in a rehearsal room, downstairs at the State Theatre Centre. As the audience enter, crossing a corner of the stage, they encounter a young, unassuming man consuming a dinner of meat and vegetables.

As the play begins, we discover that ‘Charles’ is very neatly packing to move out - while learning Spanish. Charles, is a serious, safe accountant, who likes this by the book.