Music
Revue: GALS: Yay, Boo Hiss!
By John Curry
29th May 2005 - 12:00 pm

'Yay, Boo, Hiss'
GALS
Directed by Tim Bray
Written by David Steemson
Raye Freedman Arts Centre, May 28 & 29

On Saturday night, a warm fuzzy lavender cloud descended on the Raye Freedman Arts Centre (Epsom Girls Grammar) and an SRO audience was transported to Heaven. Angelic voices sounded, bright lights gleamed and a naughty imp in a red velvet frock coat came up from down below and said naughty things to make us laugh. Mr David Steemson not only wrote this 'bent' pantomime, but he also proved a delightfully impish narrator, probably in the cutest hat he's worn since he was a baby.

His 'Yay, Boo, Hiss' pantomime proved way more 'yay' (and gay) than anything else, though we could have done with a bit more of the inspired lunacy of the 2001 opening (funny isn't it, how the simple things are always the best - well, that's what my friends are always telling me), and I, personally, could have done with a lot more of Mr Steemson's vulgar chitchat. He did it so well! Talking dirty, that is.

But it wasn't all about Mr Steemson! No way!

Mr Thomas Harding demonstrated that he was born to look buff and dashing in khaki jodphurs; Miss Pam Hart moaned so horribly she was very, very good. Miss Heather McDowell convinced us she had seen the 'Sound of Music' one too many times, and Mr Kurt Payne had a profile to inspire the angels in heaven (he looked rather dishy in a maidenform bra, too). And when the four of them got together to mime a double wedding gone wrong, it was all rather delicious. (I suspect they had some help there, from a talented man called Tim Bray.)

And that's what this GALS concert was all about - civil unions. And when they spread out around the auditorium and serenaded us with an old Elvis song - something about 'falling in love with you' - it was a truly beautiful and tearful moment. But not before Mr Robert Leek had demonstrated that he's lost none of his thespic talents. His miming of a Marmite jar accident was so convincing we expected him to be hurried away to the Mater up the hill. He also proved he has perfected a Dutch accent that would make Meryl Streep green with envy.

And as for the villainess! Why, Raine Shirley has probably set a whole new fashion trend for sparkly red turbans and cackling until one is out of breath! Boo, hiss, indeed. Rickie Schamall, as a postie, not only had the best costume of the evening, but also sported the best hair style of the evening. And when it came to sign language, Lindsay Curnow had a word for everything that happened, even if some of the words were upside down or back to front.

Craig Blockley tickled the ivories like he was running his fingers over his favourite boyfriend, and Stephen Bowness and Margaret Robertson waved their arms around as though they thought they were conducting a choir or something... perhaps they were hearing those heavenly voices, too.

But any show that has more brightly coloured gypsy shirts than you can shake a packet of Persil at has definitely got something going for it. Well, I don't know about you, but I had rather a good time!


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