Review: THE GIRLIE SHOW is 'Madge-ical' at Old 505 Theatre

In lieu of the amount of times members of communities gay, straight, between, beyond have been teased with the promise of Madonna returning to Australia, anything will do to get one's Material Girl fix, and those of you who simply cannot wait for the latest carrot-dangle of her tour this time next month, Tunks Productions and The Old 505 Theatre is giving audiences their life with 'The Girlie Show'.

Presented as part of Mardi Gras theatre program, this hit of nostalgia follows the stories of five fans who become friends in the line for tickets to the 1993 Australian tour. Sam is the troubled and sexually active rebel coming into his sexuality with gusto, played to real emotional resonance by Campbell Briggs. Natalie, star-turn by Prudence Holloway, is seeking pop stardom like her idol but is being asked to compromise a lot more. Mary is hoping to follow in Madonna's footsteps of good Catholic girl turned rebel heart but is stuck at the whole parent piece, a hilarious portrayal by Tasha O'Brien. Jason is straight too but meeting the optimistic Derek is opening up some new considerations; Thomas G Burt and Billie Scott respectively do wonderful jobs fleshing out relatable characters of their own through their paired plotlines. Between boyfriends, record producers, brothers and beat-niks, they forge true connections.

The Girlie Show is everything a Mardi Gras play should be: light-hearted enough for anyone to enjoy, didn't need to think too much but there was enough content to keep you interested, and they threw in some passion for good measure. What really impressed me about the show was Tunks' decision to show a variety of body types and styles on stage: it meant I really felt I could connect with the characters. All the stories, delivered in an almost filmic style are places we've been in one way or another which made the meaningful looks between audience members were perpetual.

The crowd-funded production was 90s in every way, from costumes to music to staging which gave this reviewer the tingles, but there might have been some benefit of Tunks himself seeking a director to aid in keeping the production's rhythm flowing, a common struggle among writer/director/producer/actors such as he is. One does have to be impressed by the original music in the production written by him as well, genuinely enjoyable songs. The highlight of the show was absolutely seeing every iteration of Madonna costumes on stage at the commence of the second act.

So take all your girls, guys, gays, grandparents along, have a bit of bubbly and enjoy a production sure to take you back and tease you. The Girlie Show is definitely in vogue.

Tickets can be purchased from The Old 505 Theatre website. Connect with Tunks Productions on Facebook.

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