Vulvarine – King’s Head Theatre

Picture: Lidia Crisafulli

Vulvarine at the King’s Head Theatre, London.

Star rating: three stars ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩

The King’s Head Theatre has been hosting a new kind of superhero – and she comes with her very own vagina.

Vulvarine is the farcical tale of a woman with the audacity to gain superpowers and use them for the good of the female population. Bryony Buckle (Allie Munro) is an ‘astoundingly average’ lady who gets caught in a storm after being given some shady work-recommended hormone injections to cure her flu (we’ve all been there).

Of course, no superhero is complete without their nemesis, and true to form, it manifests in full toxic-male regalia: the mad scientist “Mansplainer”.

The show is unapologetically, comically, larger-than-life with a fond mockery of its own form gratifying to the weary Fringe-traveller.

Writer, Fat Rascal Theatre founder and co-lead Robyn Grant creates a grotesquely delightful set of characters, brought to life by herself and some formidable company. Pacing and comic-timing is right on the money, demonstrating the ease and clockwork-machinery of a cast very much in-sync.

Occasionally, the eccentric bombast of the show crashes just the wrong side of overkill – some temperance is not always a bad thing, even in this zany world.

Munro delivers a relatable and cheery protagonist with flair, and Katie Wells steals the show with her comic punch. As we know, less is more, and her matter-of-fact delivery serves as a refreshment amongst the wackiness. Jamie Mawson too lampoons himself fantastically as love-interest Orson Bloom.

James Ringer-Beck’s music is punchy and joyously easy to listen to but it’s a shame that the intricacies of some well-observed patter numbers are lost to thick accents and a backing track which drowns out the voices at times.

Wild characters have always been a staple of absurd comedy, but it feels like some of the broader geographical stereotypes here are awaiting wittier characterisations. It would be great to see braver choices moving away from regional/foreign cracks and into more original creations at times.

Its standpoint, too, feels vague. Of course, we’re all on the side of female empowerment and equality – there’s some fun lampooning of light issues such as manspreading, office politics etc, but the heavier issues (tampon tax, corporate anti-feminine agenda, education etc) aren’t really delved into that deeply in terms of the origins, manifestations, complexities and paradoxes of the idealology. So we end up with an entertaining but fairly self-congratulatory experience, as opposed to one which challenges us.

It is, however, nice to see female characters on both sides of the good/evil divide engaging in their own moral dilemmas. Steffan Rizzi does an admirable job as Sonya, Mansplainer’s conflicted sidekick.

All in all, this is a really fun romp through the world of women’s issues, which hints at political weight, but doesn’t quite make enough of a point to properly explore the its complexities. It’s super fun, it’s tongue in cheek, but its satire blades need sharpening. Game on, Vulvarine!

Aura Simon