4 stars
From the moment she struts onstage, Gingzilla has the audience spellbound.
A crimson vision in a slinky bustier, with immaculately curled hair and a delightfully glittered beard, not to mention her waxed moustache points, this seven-foot siren delivers on the premise of the show title.
Image by Claudio Raschella
Hers is a voice that could lead men into ruin and raise armies to revolution, such is her range. The ability to go from a clear, high voice, to menacingly low butch tones within the same show, let alone the same song is a remarkable feat. This is without even considering the more comedic singing she does, switching from a coquettish flapper to Nick Cave halfway through a slab of VB within the space of a single song. She bangs out the standards, giving them her own unique twist as she circles the stage atop dazzling platform heels.
Gingzilla: Live & Loud is an inherently fun show, driven not only by Gingzilla's incredible voice but also her skills in crowd work. She'll lean on the audience to help her with her costume changes, and a few lucky members will be plucked from the relative anonymity of the herd to have a song dedicated to them. This isn’t the sort of audience participation that is aggressive or demeaning, and you’ll naturally want to play along.
The entertainment extends beyond the aural, however, with Gingzilla’s slapstick physical comedy a true—and perhaps, truly unexpected—highlight. This is far from a one note performance, and despite running well over time on this night it moved at such a pace that it was a surprise when it was over.
Image by Claudio Raschella
There were some minor hiccups during this particular performance, however, which distracted from otherwise splendid moments. Gingzilla was a little disorganised throughout—saying such herself—and ended up jumping ahead in the set list, which in turn resulted in an audio cue error. The recovery was smooth, but the impact on the pacing of the show—particularly with the two strongest audience participation sections being pushed together—was apparent. From a performer as polished as Gingzilla, it’s reasonable to assume this was an anomaly as opposed to the norm.
This show is somewhat biographical, taking the audience through Gingzilla’s past from the first stirrings of show business, through to a move overseas and then more recent anecdotes. Gingzilla uses the platform of the show to talk about the bigotry that queer people face. It’s sobering, not to mention saddening, to be reminded that we as a society still have a long way to go in terms of tolerance and inclusion.
Gingzilla: Live & Loud is a wildly entertaining show that celebrates difference, glamour, and the titular goddess herself.
Tickets available at the FRINGE WORLD website.
GLEN SEABROOK-BENSON