4 stars
Holland St Productions are back with their heralded show Dr Felicity Rickshaw’s Celebrity Sex Party and, this year, it’s saucier than ever.
A self-proclaimed Dostoyevsky of erotic celebrity fan fiction, Amy (Amy Russotti) who’s better known by her pseudonym Dr Felicity Rickshaw, is a virgin from Perth with a few secret desires.
As Amy retreats to her house to construct intimate celebrity sex stories, three voices in her head appear (played expertly by Erin Hutchinson, Tyler Jacob Jones and Claire Haddon-Casey).
Image courtesy of John Marshall
The show is wonderfully paced, with a number of captivating and hilarious sequences about different celebrities—Meryl Streep, Keanu Reeves, and Madonna to name a few. The heart of this show, however, lies in the budding relationship of Amy and Ben (Tyler Jacob Jones), who meet at work and immediately learn a little too much about each other.
This is an exceptionally slick production, which is brilliantly accompanied by pianist Joshua Haines.
Although a sparse stage, the cast’s popping of balloons throughout the show helps navigate some of the onstage tension, and also represent aspects of Amy’s deteriorating mental state.
All of the cast is in remarkable voice, tackling three- or four-part harmonies with ease and a flashy smile. Particular mention must go to Claire Haddon-Casey’s hilarious impression of Madonna (featuring around 6 different accents), and Erin Hutchinson’s airy Meryl Streep.
Amy Russotti truly embodies her character, weaving through passages of hefty dialogue or awkward characterisation effortlessly. Her warm stage presence brings a brilliant amount of heart to the show, and her comedic ability shines through each featured moment she has in the piece.
With this award-winning show’s heartwarming story, talented cast, and excellent score there’s a clear reason it’s in its third return to FRINGE WORLD.
Tickets available from the FRINGE WORLD website.
TATUM STAFFORD