ACT Like a Lady is a genuine and darling showcase of talented young ladies from Canberra. We arrived at the venue and if there was one thing you surely couldn’t deny, that was that The Basement Cafe provided a closeness to the action I’ve rarely experienced.
The host came out the front of the makeshift stage and her level of excitement, most evident through decibel, was entirely captivating. She accurately previewed what could be expected in the acts to come.
An all-female lineup — hopefully our next Judith Lucys and Denise Scotts — consisted of five comedians in funky outfits. Ellie Windred, Maddy Weeks, Vanessa Conlin, Codie Bell, Claire Hagan, Olivia Sparrow, and Laura Campbell graced the stage for 50 minutes.
Short, but sweet, they made the most of every second. Topics included (mostly self-detrimental) disabled shortcomings, awkward dating encounters, men being feminists, as well as surprisingly unique experiences of the Melbourne Tram Network.
After their lively performances, I had the pleasure of catching up with the ladies outside the venue to chat about the show. I asked how they prepare for their bits, if they were nervous, and what they thought of performing in Melbourne (we all know Melbourne crowds are tough). They mentioned that they feed off of each other’s energies and they keep performances fresh by bringing local anecdotes to relate to the audience. A sisterhood of sorts.
They didn’t often have to reduce to vulgarity to get laughs. If you want a light-hearted night giggle, this is your jam.
– Leah
Leah Sparks is a Canadian girl living in Melbourne. Other than her love for maple syrup, she digs the outdoors, live gigs, beer, the 70s and cruising around Fitzroy with her white wolf.
ACT Like a Lady runs 12-23 April (save Mon-Tues), 6pm (50mins) at The Basement Cafe. Buy tickets now.
Read The Plus Ones’ guide to MICF 2017, and visit often to see all our reviews.
