Categories: Reviews

Melbourne Fringe: Isabel and Rachel in Prime!

The fear sets in when the pre-show music is Enya. What if it’s a feminist performance-art triggering sacred-vagina dance?

It is. With cloaks, poetry and a sperm mime performed by the Sisters of the Moon.

But Rachel Davis and Isabel Angus are under those cloaks…

Isabel and Rachel are finding their fresh, unique and insanely hilarious voice as a straight-stooge duo that welcomes new characters each show.

In PRIME!, Deborah (Rachel) has been abandoned by her fellow sister performer so has asked Jono, her 14-year old son (Isabel), to fill in. There’s a Vienetta in the fridge at home if he’s learnt his lines and doesn’t display his “ignorance of female autonomy”. But he wants to do the Jono Show, where a bit is funny because he’s a guy pretending to be a chick.

Their commentary on gender issues, especially that of how young women are perceived compared to young men, is painfully spot on, but it’s the misunderstanding, love and acceptance between the Deborah and Jono that takes it to the next level.

Anne-Marie Peard

Anne-Marie spent many years working with amazing artists at arts festivals all over Australia. She's been a freelance arts writer for the last 10 years and teaches journalism at Monash University.

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