Edinburgh Fringe 2009
The Strong Breast Revolution
Canauk Theatre Company
Venue: The Space on the Mile @ The Raddisson, Venue 39 Space, Box Office: 0845 508 8136, 7th-29th August (not sunday) 14:45pm (50 mins)
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
Un-objectified breasts are a rare thing and The Strong Breast Revolution provides an opportunity for women and men to see all natural in the flesh, un-doctored boobs coupled with some fascinating truthful stories which are both humorous and heartfelt.
Review
The Strong Breast Revolution is a refreshing look at the place of breasts in society and it combats the fact that these brave girls stand before us in a confined space topless with ordinary breast stories making every girl in the audience feel ok about her own. The audience is made up of 80% women and The Strong Breast Revolution is clearly set up first and foremost to empower women, and yet in doing so it also educates men by bridging the delicate balance of making breasts less sexualised and yet not completely condoning them to the role of pure mammary gland.
There are lots of so called ‘edushows’ out there which focus on a certain issue or concern in order to make the audience less fearful to talk about it, for example The Vagina Monologues or Menopause the Musical. The Strong Breast Revolution could be most likened to the former and yet because the four girls own personal stories filter through the show so strongly and will change depending on cast, this show remains up to date and original.
The show is performed half naked with the 4 very differently shaped women, providing something for everyone, subtly using humour and keeping the content reasonably light to take the audience through different situations in which breasts become compromised making women feel less good about themselves and their bodies. Betty’s Boob Boutique has the women trying on various fake glittery and spangly boobs, be it for a special occasion like a wedding, or in one girls case she is clearly addicted and the obvious link to breast enhancement surgery is nicely parodied without the need for too much seriousness. The sale bin is full of Jordon’s and Betty has to go downstairs to bring up the Dawn French’s one at a time. The tale of the Brixton nipple pincher poinently highlights the need for protection from public physical abuse. The Strong Breast Revolution is a real platform for women to feel comfortable with the fact that all women go through issues with their breasts and no one is alone.
All four women have an excellent handle on physical comedy and surprisingly manage very well despite being half naked. Alice Fernbank’s strength in this area is to be highlighted as her height, coupled with her flexibility prove very useful during a half naked salute to the sun, and all four women perform what they entitle the Mexican boob wave. I’ll leave you to discover for yourselves what this entails.
Un-objectified breasts are a rare thing and The Strong Breast Revolution provides an opportunity for women and men to see all natural in the flesh, un-doctored boobs coupled with some fascinating truthful stories which are both humorous and heartfelt. All four women are excellent storytellers with a strong grasp on theatricality and use of their bodies within the space.
The venue is not quite suitable for the show as it is more like a conference room than a theatre, however the actors are a true ensemble who work together to create powerful and informative sketches, however it is quite clear because of the range of body types and stories each audience member will come out with a different perspective on the piece.
Man or woman, young or old go and see this show and you might challenge your preconceptions; come out a little more enlightened, or even perhaps join the revolution yourselves. Either way there is never a dull moment in this all natural comedy for everyone!
