Blaque Showgirls at Malthouse Theatre

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Wed 16 Nov 2016 - Sun 04 Dec 2016

Blaque Showgirls is a noisy, bewildering but ultimately entertaining story of one girl's dream to become a blaque showgirl. Except she can't really dance. And she's not really black.


The transformation of Sarah Jane Jones of Chitole Australia into Ginny Jones of Brizvegas is loosely based on the 1995 film Showgirls and relies heavily on the audience's suspension of disbelief. In the end, we just have to go along with it or go mad. The play, written by emerging Indigenous playwright Nakkiah Lui, is a comedic take on identity. It's hard to imagine its irreverence and downright political incorrectness working as well in any other hands.


Bessie Holland plays the knowing ingenue with a great sense of humour and a touch of the Rebel Wilsons. Elaine Crombie has an impressive stage presence and Guy Simon plays the dual roles of Kyle MacLachlan and True Love Interest with panache and great pecs. Emi Canavan is perfectly cast as the feisty Japanese character at constant pains to assert her non-Chineseness.


The all-Australian soundtrack was a pleasant trip down memory lane for this baby boomer and added a feelgood factor to what was at its heart a piece of musical theatre on racism in all its forms. In the words of Ginny: 'She wasn't a racist – she was just being racist.' I think there's something there for all of us.

#aboriginal
#comedy
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#theatre -reviews
#november
!date 16/11/2016 -- 04/12/2016
%wnmelbourne