Herstory | Da Parel Speigeltent | Until Sat Jan 31 | ★ ★ ★ ★
As I left the Da Parel Speigeltent at the conclusion of Imogen Kelly’s ‘Her Story’, a friend sent me an SMS asking how the show I’d been seeing was?
I texted back, “Who knew Burlesque could be so intellectual! I’m pretty sure that on my death bed the memory of Marlene Dietrich doing an impersonation of Princess Diana, doing striptease, to the sounds of William Shatner’s rendition of the Pulp tune ‘Common People’ – will still be with me, and I’ll probably still be pondering the questions it raised.”
Burlesque can be a challenging art form to watch, when its done well it’s an accomplished performance and I can admire the skills and showmanship of it all. When it’s average, it’s a bore. And I’ve sat through a lot of boring burlesque at Fringe over the years. Imogen Kelly ratchets Burlesque up to new heights, and presents a very philosophical show.
Imogen appears on stage as ageing film star Marlene Dietrich. The opening number takes us through a variety of famous women via some ingenious quick changes. Once things settle down Marlene explains that this show looks at some of history’s most judged women and present them as how society and media portrayed them at the time.
‘Herstory’ has no ‘sacred cows’ as we’re taken on a journey through time to reacquaint ourselves with everyone from Princess Diana to Lindy Chamberlain and Marie Antoinette.
One of the highlights of the show (and we’re keeping the best bits secret so we don’t ruin it) is a sequence where Imogen seeks some advice on the best name for a vaginas, reciting a long list of euphemisms as options.
Costume changes in the show are covered by a series of video presentations, while these were interesting, it did give the show a slight yo-yo feeling as Imogen left the stage to become the next character.
It’s a laugh-out-loud funny experience. and certainly not for the faint of heart. Most impressively ‘Herstory’ provokes questions about feminism, the media’s portrayal of women and society’s ability to demonise people.
Graeme Watson
