[Salacious Satire]
Do you wish to discover out the place your god-shaped gap is and why Jesus is definitely a lesbian? Maybe you simply need a tantalisingly good night time on the theatre. Presented as a part of the NZ International Comedy Festival, James Penwarden’s stand-up present Them Fatale will depart you dripping moist with laughter.
Like the lethal Noir seductress eluded to by the present’s title, Penwarden enchants us with their charismatic presence as quickly as they enter the stage. They maintain the area with mesmeric surety, at all times a flirtatious sparkle of their eye, and proudly proclaim the multitudes they comprise. Like a hapless Noir protagonist, I’m hooked.Â
Them Fatale is a velvety firecracker of a present – horny, enjoyable, and intelligent. Penwarden by no means misses a single beat, taking us on a journey by way of Catholicism, identification and queer polyamorous intercourse. They tease us with a guitar, sprinkling songs all through and slowly ramping up every part till we’re good and prepared. Every joke is witty and exactly delivered. Where some comedy units may lull as they transition from one part to the subsequent, Penwarden’s writing is persistently participating and easy, making a cohesive complete that deftly holds their multifaceted nature.
Penwarden makes use of their non-binary identification as each a uniting theme and a jumping-off level to discover the ambiguities in human relationships. What does it imply to have homosexual intercourse once you’re non-binary? When a straight (cis) particular person dates a non-binary particular person, has their sexuality modified? Penwarden gives no straightforward solutions to such questions, as a substitute subtly prodding at our want to position issues into easy classes. Their very existence is an instance of why this isn’t solely futile but additionally denies the elemental complexity of human nature and want. It is the various shapes and varieties that want can take, and the (generally awkward) realities of enacting such want, that gives the majority of the hilarious and deeply relatable materials.
Of course, their experiences may not be so relatable for everybody; the principle demographic for this present is undoubtedly queer people. But the friction between societal expectations and the messy and fluid realities of relationships is unquestionably one thing we will all perceive. It’s refreshing to see such good comedy exploring the character of the queer expertise and maybe bringing this perception to new audiences. As a cis, straight lady I can say I discovered the present thigh-slappingly humorous and really relatable. Indeed, when Penwarden sings about straight ladies who want they had been homosexual I really feel personally spoken to, and possibly a little bit confused as a result of these suspenders they’re carrying are actually horny and… I digress.Â
Confusion was a significant theme in Them Fatale – from the confusion that inevitably ensues when one questions norms of gender and intercourse, to spiritual confusion, to the confusion of different individuals when one tries to elucidate one’s identification, and (after all) the ability of Penwarden’s excellently-chosen outfit to sexually confuse the whole viewers. Their black velvet jacket, lacy corset and boxy trousers, together with the pink lipstick they sport, offers cabaret vibes, evoking an extended theatrical custom of gender blurring, à la Marlene Dietrich or Joel Grey. But in all this discuss of confusion, I by no means as soon as felt misplaced. Rather, I felt anchored by Penwarden’s confidence and the beautifully crafted journey this present takes.
The Basement Studio was a wonderful venue for the piece, offering an intimacy that highlighted Penwarden’s pure charisma. The extra critical, heartfelt moments had been well-earned, and the present managed to strike an ideal steadiness between difficult and empowering, and being satirical and foolish. James Penwarden is unquestionably a comedy star on the rise.
Them Fatale performs the Basement Theatre 16-Twentieth of May 2023Â