Penny Ashton has knocked it out of the park again. After a slow start, seeped in misogyny, she whipped the audience into a feminist frenzy in a show more reminiscent of her "Promise and Promiscuity" than "Olive Copperbottom", though the latter somehow feels like it should be closer.
References to the bard include Hamlet, Macbeth and Taming of the Shrew; the script also owned a lot to reality TV. The score included instantly recognisable music. It was delightful to hear “double, double, toil and trouble” sung over Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy and to watch a fight scene to Winter form Vivaldi’s Four Seasons (or as most New Zealanders know it “that song from the National Bank advertisement with the horse running on the beach”).
Ashton showed boundless energy; dancing around the stage and singing as she rapidly cycled through parts using excellent worldplay, even lampshading that she couldn’t do an Italian accent. Her brightly coloured costume was excellent and gave impressive, er, “lift.”
There is a small amount of audience participation but it’s all in good fun.
As with her prior shows there is hilarious merchandise in the form of fridge magnets and tea towels with amusing quotes from the sow.
Most touching was real tears when reciting a speech about the plight of women, so poignant at the time things were looking darkest on the other side of the world.
Tickets: $30-40
Performances: 6 November - 1 December 730pm Tues-Sat, 430pm Sun
