Parris is Dreaming ☆☆☆☆

The Pleasance Theatre

Parris is Burning examines the lives of three women “dismissed, ignored and affected by society” through music, dance, sound effects, clowning, physical theatre and natural dialogue.

The show opens with three androgynous stylish performers lip syncing to “I got the music in me” with cropped hair, immaculate makeup, heels and dinner jackets. They are also all in thong back dance belts (Queerguru’s favourite item of costume) and nothing else; this is of course delightfully eye catching during the frequent high kicks and slut drops that pepper the show.

Jack Sears leads the talented troupe of three (which includes Sam Hind and Jake Head) and the show manages to keep many issues and themes bubbling away just below the surface, including Brexit, poverty, female sexual freedom, and the difficulties in succeeding in the creative industries. Clacton and Matthew Parris are also recurring and esoteric motifs!

Highlights include verbatim conversation recordings about the pressures and competitive nature of marriage pregnancy between women and also a very raw and poignant section about the fraught relationship between a mother and her autistic son. Scenes like this give the show its unexpected depth of emotional resonance and the social commentary marks it out as special and far superior to the ‘butt and boogie’ affair you might expect.

It could be said, however, that like an overstuffed dance thong, there are too many plot resolutions squeezed into the last 10 minutes. Despite this, consummate cabaret artist Sears excels at interacting with the audience, using witty adlibs and plenty of comedy props stage business to ensure the pace never flags. This show format has certainly given Sears room to explore some serious issues and stretch his creative wings and he is without doubt one to watch for 2020.

P.S. Jake Sears asked us to point out this work is still in development

REVIEW : JONNY WARD

Jonny Ward, Queerguru Contributing EDITOR is a drama graduate but has worked backstage for many years at venues such as The ROYAL ALBERT Hall, The 02, Southbank Centre and is currently at The NATIONAL THEATRE. He lives in Hoxton, London and is delighted to check out the latest, the hottest and the downright dodgy in queer culture for Queerguru. (P.S. He is currently single)  @JonnyWard360