Judith Lucy & Denise Scott, Still Here.

The teaming up of these two iconic Australian comedians undoubtedly means strapping yourself in for some confronting humour. Lucy and Scott do not hold back on the jokes related to the issues specifically related to women such as aging and female sexuality.  There is a no-holds-barred approach to discussing female genitalia in all its glorious detail. Both performers set out to shock both men and women with their candour. The humour advocates for a more open and transparent approach to such matters and uses a very effective weapon to break down the tabus surrounding these topics. We would expect nothing less from this comic dynamic duo, and there is a wonderful sense of satisfaction in seeing two older women being such a strong drawcard in the calendar of the Comedy Festival.

The performance is designed as a quasi-buddy lockdown scenario and focuses on the trials of being part of one of the most locked down cities in the world. The references to the sough dough baking, vindaloo home deliveries and one-hour outdoor exercise restrictions evoke a uniquely Melbournian experience and one that the audience could easily relate to. Reliving the trauma of lockdown with their typically acerbic humour makes for quite a bonding experience in the show. References to key lockdown figures as well a guest appearance from another iconic comedian neatly round off the accounts of their lockdown experience. 

At times hilarious and at other times poignant, the show is approached from the perspective of the idiom; “if you don’t laugh, you’ll cry.” This credo is especially evident in one of the highlights of the show when Lucy conducts a post-lockdown meltdown. Here Lucy gathers all the frustration of pandemic trauma combined with various relentless local and international disasters currently besieging communities across the nation and the globe. Lucy is able to make light of the impending sense of doom in her agonised cries. A sheer joy to watch as she provides an opportunity to share a collective sense of exhaustion and exasperation. 

The show is, nonetheless, designed to lift your spirits and the glamour of the opening and closing sequences is a great way to celebrate the fact that, despite all the doom and gloom, they persist as artists and are, thankfully, still here.

Patricia Di Risio