A Lady Shot

This performance pays homage to a range of important female figures that have made a contribution to feminism and represent the power of femininity in one form or another. It is a great reminder that ordinary names such as Julie, Joan, Juliet, Helena, Beatrice and Diana can evoke a rich and powerful history of women who have demonstrated extraordinary courage and strength.

This is an all female show but the ability of the performers to imitate the cultural tropes of men and masculinity is insightful. All the performers demonstrate a vast array of skill and talent and this is especially evident when they transition from female to male characters, beautifully detailed through gesture and facial expression. The distinct change in verbal and body language highlights the performativity of gender and renders it entirely theatrical. The hilarious Perfect Match segment features a male contestant (Monk) whose manhood is wounded when the contestants make unconventional choices. Monk’s performance makes it clear that this is a cowardly response.

The physicality of the show gives it some warmth and energy but could be more distinct or stylised and demonstrate its reasoning more.  This performance includes a wonderful and eclectic collection of female characters and snippets of canonical speeches such as those given by Lady Macbeth (Plummer) and Julia Gillard (Dallinger) are among the highlights of the play.

Patricia Di Risio