Seen at Edinburgh Festival Fringe on the 17th of August 2023
5 stars – Bloody fun
Does a man really want to know what it is like to give birth? For what exact reason do neo mums go to yoga? How would a hygienic pad frown, if it had a face? Would it win the challenge against a moon cup?
In this absurd and grotesque sketch comedy, everything is personified, and genitals are over five feet tall. Themes concerning childbirth and sex after it, period, postnatal struggles, and roles in the couple are questioned through scenes that cause an almost uninterrupted laughter.
Following Fingal Pollock’s idea and direction, this collective from New Zealand brings to the stage this parody in a clever and hilarious way. The performers (Fingal Pollock, April Phillips, Jeremy Nelson, Tracey Savage) switch quickly from a character to the following, from object to human, and the very brief moments of transition are hilariously filled by Sonja Doubleday in her pad costume. Costumes are, indeed, one of the strengths of the show, pushing the ridiculous potential to its extremes.
Femme Natale is an engaging parody that swiftly carries the audience into its exaggerated world, that has its roots in mothers’ collective experience. It is a woman’s point of view that emerges throughout, leading the narrative of each sketch and the overall show. The funniest show of my Fringe.
Tickets and Info: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/femme-natale-theatre
Company Website: https://www.femmenatale.co.nz/
Butterwort 
Leave a comment