As soon as I saw the title of this show, I had to go see it…
Walking Fish Burlesque has unfurled its latest entry into the world…be afraid, be very afraid. BLOOD KEGGER ON MONSTER PARTY ISLAND brings back the “scary” duo of Dr. (formerly Countess) Paulina and her faithful assistant, the hunchback Clurb (Michelle Pauls and Gina Martino respectively) who are in the final stages of bringing their monster, the hideous Man/Fish (Brett Hopkins) to life. The magic elixir (which looks suspiciously like beer) and the machinery (which again suspiciously resembles an old vacuum) don’t seem to do it, so perhaps a strip tease will! The Man/Fish comes to life and escapes onto the island, where the Drunk Girls Who’ve Signed Releases are being taped by a cameraman, and they encounter “boys” from the annual kegger that takes place on the island (Melissa Bang-Bang, Lauren Williams, Peter Zielinski, and Margot Go.) Let the monster hijinks commence!
This is a terrific evening of entertainment. As soon as you enter the theatre, you are greeted with movie trailers of some old sexploitation films…the worst of the worst, I am sure. Films like “Bad Girls Go To Hell”, “The Amazing Transplant”, and other equally bad films entertain as you get in the mood for what is to come. From the opening comments to the final bows, the audience is a part of the production, figuratively (as the cast encourages cheers and cat calls during the burlesque sequences) and literally, as one “lucky” audience member is brought up on stage to enjoy a dance by one of the cast members, and receives a bag of prizes as well.
The script is full of silly jokes, double-entendres and sexual humor…and parody, LOTS of parody. The cast handles the material very well, keeping their characters even in the silliest of circumstances. But it would be unfair to judge this production as a “normal” theatrical offering…this is an evening of pure fun, lampoon, and freedom. The cast revels in the silliness of the show, the audience gets pulled along, and everyone has a great time.
I loved this production…for an evening of titillating humor, go see it. While there are a number of strip teases, they cover all the “naughty bits” with pasties and g-strings, and it’s all in good fun. Go join the party…enjoy this wonderful homage to classic bad movies and burlesque.
BLOOD KEGGER ON MONSTER PARTY ISLAND
Written by Max Guerin
Directed by Stan Heleva
May 15-24, 2013, 8 PM
Walking Fish Theatre
2509 Frankford Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19125
(215) 427-WALK
www.walkingfishtheatre.com
