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drinks Monday 2 June 08
DUBLIN ... Colman Higgins describes the scope and history of Dublin Gay Theatre Festival ... and reviews two of its shows ... Down Dangerous Passes Road ... Confessions of A Mormon Boy /// LONDON ... film on now ... La Question Humaine / Heartbeat Detector /// BRIGHTON ... It's on till 26 May and here's at least 20 Things you might want to know about Brighton Fringe /// PEOPLE ... Who was there at Fringe Report's First Monday 5 May - photographs & article /// CULTURE ... One Culture ... film screening 30 May booking now ... details
Millie & Tillie - Do You!
Verdict: Very funny
Millie Brick and Tillie Blossom are a couple of well-bred ladies of uncertain age. They're here tonight to give the audience full service - 'A Complete Life Makeover Show' - hence the 'Do You'.
M & T look like a couple of gay Swiss Maids (especially when Millie hitches up her skirt and pulls out her Red Cross) - the ones on the chocolate wrapper who look as if they could show Julie Andrews a good time. There's a touch, too, of the maiden aunts we were warned away from in childhood.
Millie (Jemma Freudenbergmorphet) is no stranger to fashion - 'I modelled a tractor once; I only did it for the free whips'; despite what Tillie cruelly says about her - 'You have a fine mind / but you dress like you are blind'. Millie is smartly dressed in brown corduroy skirt to below her knees, long-sleeved white shirt, tweed waistcoat, and gold bracelet over her shirt; her pretty dark hair's slicked down; she wears black shoes.
Tillie (Josie Stuart), blonde hair plastered to her head, has tailored check trousers, white full-sleeved shirt, black waistcoat trimmed with silver lamé, and bare feet.
Their faces are severe in repose, breaking periodically into lust. The set's an old piano, sideways on; a projection screen topped with a red feather and a couple of cloth caps.
Songs include Do You; Lovely Audience, upbeat and glorious. The Fashion Song features both ladies dancing with élan. The Soup Song (Do It Yourself), has Tillie accompanying on the piano with recklessly avant-garde chords while Millie sings ingredients.
(When You're In A Couple) There'll Be Trouble is 'A song for the terminally alone'. A routine about love to Minnie Ripperton's Loving You is one of the many comedy highlights of the show.
There's practical advice: Millie: 'Finding the G-Spot - in my case, Guernsey'. In Tillie's Top Tips, Tillie explains 'How To Get Out Of A Sports Car In A Short Skirt', particularly when her unseen flame Darren's driving after a game of tennis. 'How To Eat A Banana' that Darren's poking in her direction. And 'How To Play The Cello Without Being Obscene' - to Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.
'Everyone wants to make friends' - and M & T show how it's done. A disco is simulated, with Prince's 'You Don't Have To Be Beautiful'. Tillie dances elegantly. Millie pulls up her skirt to show off black pants that redefine the term 'big knickers' - these are industrial - and dances magnificently. It ends in a lights-out passionate snog, from which Millie & Tillie emerge looking dishevelled, debauched, confused and smeared in each other's lipstick.
There's a demonstration of unconventional ('Imagine a bowl of fruit rotting') yoga, by Ivanka Uche (Millie, in kimono). There's the sad Story Of William ('My father showed me the back of his slipper. It was from Fenwicks of Bond Street. Very nice'). There's Rebirthing - at some pain to Millie - to rap.
A couple of Welsh Gardeners - Alfie Bush (Millie) and Eddie Ranger (Tillie) have ambiguous conversations about horticulture. Tillie finds her tap shoes and tap-dances with grace, cut short by knocking herself out on the wall.
M & T finale tonight with their magnificent (and lively) The Death Song ('Death, takes your breath away'), they leave to riotous applause.
Millie and Tillie's a truly original show, with no overt references to past, present, or current acts. The characters are well-defined and separate. There's lots of Ealing Comedy smut, and the traditions of the Carry On films are honourably echoed - but not copied. The material is well-written, with a constant flow of excellent one-liners. Direction from the talented Cara Jennings is sharp, with a fine eye for subtle humour.
Magnificent.
Cast Credits (alpha order):
Jemma Freudenbergmorphet (Millie Brick, Ivanka Uche, Alfie Bush). Josie Stuart (Tillie Blossom, Eddie Ranger).
Company Credits: Director - Cara Jennings. Lights & Sound Technical Manager - Rebecca Maltby.
Venue Credits: Canal Café Theatre: Administration - Louis Brownhill. Artistic Director - Emma Taylor.
END
John Park
reviewed Sunday 20 June 04 / Canal Café Theatre
This updates earlier review 29 September 2003
See also Millie + Tillie at Madame JoJos
Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2008
