Real Women

Real Womenis an hilarious new mini-musical comedy from Brisbane duo Jacqueline Ozorio and Matthew Samer. Filled with real life stories sourced from women on social media, the musical is presented as a series of character driven vignettes. The show pokes fun at the double standards facing us every day, and is about the way our minds and bodies are shaped, and how that affects our relationships to each other and to ourselves. With no real set, costumes or props to speak of, this work manages to stand on its own, entirely on the strength of the music, script and lyrics.

With more than a passing nod to Sex and the City, this superb young cast features four versatile music theatre performers in the guise of Georgina Hopson, Kimie Tsukakoshi, Danika Saal and Jacqueline Ozorio. Their on-stage chemistry together, as four close friends, is so believable you start to feel a little guilty you are eavesdropping on their private ‘real life’ conversations.

There are plenty of solid laughs in this sixty minute piece, but in between the laughs there are some poignant moments when each of the characters reveal a little bit more about their true selves and feelings. We get to laugh at the obligatory fat girl, you know, the one who is always putting herself down before others do. But we are actually laughing with her. She wants us to know that ultimately she still has a sense of humour about herself.

Next up is the girl who can’t get a date no matter how hard she tries – and won’t go to bed with a guy with the lights on because she’s too embarrassed about her body - until she meets a guy who feels the same way about himself. Enter the gorgeous blonde, who is obsessed with her looks, and is practically perfect in every way. However, when she tells her date she is a lesbian, he says: “what a waste” (I can assure you it’s no waste).

And finally we have the over-achieving Asian, who can never seem to please her family, her boyfriend, or indeed herself - simply because she is too busy trying too hard to please everyone else. This soon passes.

As musical director, Matthew Samer has composed some very sweet sounding vocal arrangements, perfectly harmonised by the talented cast. Unlike most contemporary musical theatre composers, writing music for the boutique musical genre, Samer has created inventive melodies that could be performed as stand-alone songs.

With its witty lyrics and catchy melodies - and a positive feel good message - all Real Women needs now is an astute young producer to grab the ball and run with it, and take this production to a wider audience.

Paul Dellit