Review: THE INDECENT MUSINGS OF MISS DONCASTER 2007, Camden People's Theatre

Miss Donny's life hasn't been the same since she's been crowned Miss Doncaster in 2007. But it hasn't exactly planned out the way she thought it would and now she's stuck in a mundane job that keeps her occupied when she's not busy on her wild nights out.

Annabel York introduces a washed-up has-been who's still got a lot to offer. Directed by Rebecca Loudon, The Indecent Musings of Miss Doncaster 2007 is an outspoken small-town comedy. Donny lets the audience take a naughty peek at her sexual escapades, peculiar work colleagues, a complicated relationship with alcohol, and the numb pain her dad's illness puts her through.

She is sharp-tongued and cheeky in her big personality; the characterisations of the people who inhabit her simple life are very physical and detailed, which is only heightened by Loudon's clean and precise direction. Jacob Welsh's sound design becomes a crucial element in the production.

From lining the time she spends by her father's hospital bed with the steady rhythm of a breathing machine to having York dancing in clubs, he accompanies her journey with a fascinating score. The performer is a natural-born entertainer. She beckons the crowd as she tells Donny's story, establishing a sincere relationship with them from the very start.

Her sash and crown are soon discarded in her tale and her dress is tucked into her shorts, only for her to recompose herself at the very end for a send-off worthy of only the best former beauty queens. York's Musings is everything it should be: silly, honest, and serious in all the right spots.

The Indecent Musings of Miss Doncaster 2007 runs at Camden People's Theatre until 10 August as part of Camden Fringe.

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