FLOSSY AND BOO’S CURIOSITY SHOP | STAGE REVIEW
Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, Tues 21 July
The audience at Chapter was treated to a charming performance by the eponymous Flossy and Boo, who took us on a whimsical journey into the bizarre and wonderful world of their curiosity shop. Mixing and chatting with the audience beforehand created a relaxed atmosphere for the show to come, directly addressing the audience through skits, songs and interaction.
There was a jovial ambiance throughout the show, as Flossy and Boo introduced us to a range of characters both grotesque and comic. Their ‘curiosity shop’ was an Aladdin’s cave of props, each with their own particular story, which was chosen by an audience member pulling it out of a hat. Flossy and Boo ingeniously bring to life the story of the chosen prop, often through songs played on ukuleles, whilst playing a host of characters with great comic timing and imagination.
Despite the apparent simplicity of the format, this is a cleverly put together piece of theatre, knowingly drawing on popular story telling traditions like cabaret and music hall with a touch of the Goon Show’s menagerie of weird, with characters like Kevin the worm and Aunt Theodora with her assistant Bertrand.
There is a sense that Flossy and Boo are still fine tuning some of the material, but the interaction with the audience was very nicely done, judged perfectly to cause the least embarrassment and picking their chosen targets very carefully. How they get on with a less receptive audience will be a challenge, and my guess is that they will end up being particularly popular with families and kids.
Beautifully played by Anja Conti as Flossy and Laura Jeffs as Boo, the couple are delightful additions to the south Wales entertainment scene. They are taking the show to Edinburgh this summer, and here’s hoping they get the support they thoroughly deserve.
word ALEX WREN
Flossy And Boo’s Curiosity Shop, Porter’s Bar (part of Cardiff Comedy Festival), Cardiff, Wed 29 Aug. Admissions: free. Info: www.facebook.com/flossyandbooscuriosityshop