Friday 5 April 2019

Pamela's Palace - Theatre Review

What: Pamela's Palace
When: 27 March - 6 April 2019
Where: The 86
Concept by: Donna Gray
Devised and performed by: Katie Grace Cooper, Donna Gray and Ayesha Tansey
Directed by: Mella Faye
Donna Gray and Ayesha Tansey - photo by Alison Pollard-Mansergh
In a Comedy Festival full of stand up comics and cabaret The 86 brings us a pure delight with the full theatrical (and highly interactive) comedy Pamela's Palace. With world class clowning and dance moves you haven't seen since the 80's, Pamela's Palace is a riotous romp and they take the audience with them every step (or snip...) of the way!

Pamela's Palace is an old school hairdressing salon run by very old...school Pamela (Gray). With the talents of her employees, stylist Tiffany (Cooper) and apprentice Bronwyn (Tansey), Pamela has managed to reach the finals for Salon of The Year. The only thing standing in her way is rival salon The Cutting Edge...and herself...and Tiffany...and Bronwyn...

Tiffany is having an affair with the lead stylist at the opposition salon, Bronwyn is desperate to be allowed to progress to cutting hair, and Pamela is so far behind the times even Plato is more hip to the jive than she is! Bronwyn is sent as a mole to get her hair cut and find out what Cutting Edge are doing, Tiffany is recruited as a spy for her boyfriend, and Pamela's solution is to turn the Palace into the Acropolis and her staff into Xena clones.

All the while customers (the audience) are coming in to have their hair done. Don't worry though, they don't hurt a hair on anybody's head...well, maybe one hair on somebody's head...and if you sit in the front row you will get wet but it is all part of the fun.

Pamela's Palace is a fast paced romp. The performers have had excellent guidance in their physical clowning and choreography from Stephen Harper and Aitor Basauri and there are even a couple of original songs by Sam Halmarack.

Faye (director) and the team are masters of comedy and even the fake irruptions of reality are so well crafted they are almost indistinguishable from the real ones. With dance moves to die for - think running man, the robot and other classic dance gems - and excellent technique and timing, the women at Pamela's Palace had me practically rolling on the floor in gales of laughter.

The show is only on for a couple more nights and is almost sold out so you need to get in quick to catch it and I really do recommend you catch it. The performances are excellent and the detail in the costumes and props is remarkable and it is just a rollicking good time. Book now or you will miss one of the Comedy Festival's best offerings.

5 Stars

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