jennabow
Contributor
Joined: 23 Apr 2008
Posts: 10
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 Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 2:03 pm Post subject: Lady Boys of Bangkok |
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A Game of Hunt the Sausage:
The Lady Boys of Bangkok, Sabai Pavillion, Brighton, Saturday 31st May, 7:00pm.
The Lady Boys of Bangkok, as a prominent annual feature of the Brighton Fringe (this year actually marks their 10th Anniversary show, that’s a ruddy long time) and a constant source of perverse curiosity for people of all ages, genders and orientations, are always capable of shock value. And the shock, itself, is in fact the lack of it. Imagine the Thai version of a Butlins Saturday night cabaret, but loads more fun, and a hell of a lot more like the strange Japanese adverts you used to see on Tarrant on TV.
It’s just so bloody funny to watch someone who doesn’t speak English trying to mime to ‘Umbrella’ by Rihanna (almost as hilarious as your bashful boyfriend being dragged up on stage by one amorous ‘lady’, his jumper pulled off, and lipstick smeared all over his face. Traumatised isn’t the word). You’ll spend most of the show trying to find out where these incredibly attractive ‘ladies’ hide their man bits, and the rest laughing hysterically at the two comically bad Lady Boys, who take no prisoners and do a mean Tina Turner. The dancing is pretty rubbish but top marks for effort; the songs range from modern pop to camp classics as well as the natural inclusions of ‘Man, I Feel Like a Woman’, and ‘It’s Raining Men’. A hysterical Britney, a very odd Austin Powers, a Robbie Williams freak show and five hip-and-bum-less Spice Girls make for sickly but absorbing voyeurism for a downright giddy audience.
It’s also a rare and rather remarkable thing when you are suddenly reminded of how much fun the YMCA can actually be. It gets me every time. The Lady Boys never fail to deliver comic entertainment for all the right and wrong reasons, intentionally and unintentionally, and that’s the reason you should see definitely go and see the show at least once before you die. It’s everything I furtively and perversely love about the world: Abba and hidden willies. |
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