Described in the show publicity as “hilarious” and “the ultimate girls night out” I found the The Vagina Monologues at the Queen’s Theatre in Barnstaple to be far more (and less) than that.
Yes it is amusing. After all who doesn’t suppress a giggle at the mention of lady parts – certainly not Chelsee Healey who seemed to have trouble both getting her words out and keeping a straight face. Mind you, she was so charming I think we forgave her.
But more than a fun night out with the girls I found this a contemplative, touching piece of theatre; alternating saucy humour with issues such as female circumcision and rape.
The Vagina Monologues is pretty much what it says on the tin. Eve Ensler’s work is the result of interviewing hundreds of women from all around the world, with questions such as “If your vagina got dressed what would it wear?”
The play has become a ‘must do’ for female actors and TV celebs and this time around we had a clutch of TV stars from Coronation Street – Vicky Entwistle, Waterloo Road – Chelsee Healey, Holby City (and, as my friend Sarah pointed out, Grange hill) – Clare Buckfield. Quite why they were reading from cue cards I’m not sure but I didn’t like it.
My first thought was that when these women were cast I’m sure they went home and marched around the house chanting “vagina … vagina … vagina”. It’s not a word most of us use on a daily basis but by the end of the show it had become as mundane as ‘arm’ or ‘leg’.
The closing monologue was one added by writer Eve Ensler some years after her first performance of the show. It was about her experience of seeing her granddaughter being born. This touching scene was brought to life by the fabulous Vicky Entwistle. I thought Entwistle really was the star of the show; her character portrayals were filled with intimacy and charm and the ease with which she uttered the rudest of words made it easy for us to laugh with her. But in this final scene why, oh why were so many of the audience laughing? I found the childbirth monologue really poignant and a great end to the ups and downs, humour and horror of this show. Maybe they had come for the “hilarious” “ultimate girls night out” and were determined to have it at all costs
