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Getting it off their chests . . . sort of
Fit to bust: Bev Killick and Emma Powell are bringing their down under brand of up top humour to the UK Busting out! Lichfield Garrick **** This is not a show for the the faint hearted,
prudes with leggings on their pianos or maiden aunts who think sex is
what coal comes in. Australian duo Emma Powell and Bev Killick are rather
ample ladies who perform much of the show topless - and there is a fair
amount of top to show. Not that the introduction of Hillary and Condoleezza
(Emma’s) and Starsky & Hutch (Bev’s) is sleazy or even sexy, they just
become rather large props in a two hour look at the “boobiverse”. If you remember Puppetry of the Penis then this is
that same sort of thing but different sex and higher up. Cross that with
a sort of Muppets with nipples - for example the boobs sing Abba - and
you start to get a flavour of at least parts of the evening.
Emma has a background in musical comedy, she was Rosie
in Mamma Mia for two years on the Australasia Tour, as well as
appearing in cabaret and one woman shows. She also has a cracking voice
even on send ups such as Mammories or that Dolly Parton(ish)
hit 9-k-g. Bev’s background is more rooted in comedy and TV
comedy in Australia This was the first UK performance of their show which
has taken Australia and New Zealand by storm and no doubt before it
reaches Edinburgh later in the summer it will have been tweaked for
British audiences. It is irreverent, doesn’t give a hoot, at times
it is crude and crass but at others it is just brilliant. It is often
very funny and never less than amusing.
There are one or two rough edges and the first half
appeared to be running out of ideas as if ‘you have laughed at the
wobbly bits so what now?’ The duo clearly found some inspiration in the
interval though as the second half hit its stride and seemed much more
polished. One of the many highlights of the show was in the
first half though with a
collection of shadow pictures all relayed to the giant screen, from the Taj Mahal to a camel while
Batman in particular was brilliant. Amazing what the old droopy bits can
do with a bit of imagination. Bev’s comedy background came to the fore with a stand
up routine on the history of the bra which ranged over such diverse
subjects as incontinence after childbirth, large undies being more
comfortable, beige bras, department store make up counters and the
dangers of flatulence while wearing a G-string - thongs for those modern
types out there. We had the mammogram song - a complete mystery for the
few men in the audience although there was a mutual intake of breath
among the men when it was suggested a similar test might be devised for
male dangly bits. The audience were also encouraged to take part - i.e.
“volunteers” were dragged on stage. Thus Alan from the audience found
himself topless and finding out how quickly he could put a bra on
himself. OUT FOR THE LADS Then five women were pulled on stage to see how
quickly they could remove their bras under their clothes. A competition
won by a lady called Bev. Emma and the other Bev then sort of
suggested that the women might like to . . . you know . . .
show their . . . and Bev2 was there - getting ‘em out for the lads as
they say followed by two more volunteers who busted out, so to
speak, to cheers and hoots from the mainly female audience. This is a show that is perfect for a girls’ night out - after all women live with boobs every day, they are old friends and are at ease with them whereas matter-of-fact booberism is all a bit of a hostile environment for men who prefer theirs at a distance on Page 3 with a pint - or in a lap dancing club with champagne for the bankers among us. The show was also instructional with Emma giving a
demonstration of how to wear a backless dress which involves lengths of
gaffer tape and Sellotape which will give a whole new interest to
watching the walk down the red carpet at premieres and the Oscars - not
quite so glamorous with a bust done up like a badly wrapped parcel underneath
methinks. Remember Jake the Peg, well this show had Meg the Mug
with the extra . . . you get the idea and to end it all we had
giant blow up boobs bouncing around the audience. It was that sort of
night. Roger Clarke
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