Review: Horrible Herstories

Show: Horrible Herstories
Venue: 209
Rating: ****
Reviewer: Remmy Fillip

a laugh-out-loud kind of show

‘Horrible Histories’ have been a staple of British popular culture for decades, and after seeing this hilarious riot of a performance, I firmly believe that its feminine counterpart should be offered the same privilege. The show starts from a simple premise, which serves as a framing device for a series of loosely connected skits: the so-called ‘Cambridge Men &Women’s Conference’, which turns out to actually be a rehab meant to cure five men – all named Phil – of their internalised misogyny. The five actors do a stellar job of embodying well-established male stereotypes, often to the point of caricature: the macho man concealing a fragile ego; the pseudo-intellectual who always offers anecdotes from time immemorial; and, of course, the dreaded ‘I’m a feminist, but…’

As the Phils explore the annals of history in search of the forgotten or overlooked contributions of women, the stage gradually becomes Ancient Greece, Victorian England, or a blur of various times and places (see ‘Rosalind Franklin’s TED Talk’), in a humorous whirlwind of scenes meant to remind or, in some cases, inform the audience of the female side of world history. No longer than a few minutes (sometimes even a few seconds!), every segment works to show how, as centuries pass and times change, one thing stays the same: the minimisation or erasure of women’s roles, from the working class to the upper echelons of society.

But don’t let the seriousness of the subject matter fool you: this is a laugh-out-loud kind of show. From the silliest gags (the ‘Royal Seal of Approval’ being an actual animal) to the darkest comedy (the crowd shouting ‘Slay, queen!’ as Anne Boleyn is led to the chopping block), Horrible Herstories packs in the jokes to such an extent that the audience barely has time to process one before being hit with the next. The cherry on top for me was a musical interlude about the phenomenon of ‘gal pals’ – after all, we know that there were no gay people in the past; they were all just very good friends.

Go see this youthful, energetic theatre group at work: you might learn something valuable about history and be inspired to undo the far-stretching effects of the patriarchy, but you might also come out of the venue with a laughter-induced belly ache, which is always an educational bonus.

Tickets available here
Venue: Greenside @ Nicolson Square
Aug 6-13, 15-20, 22-27
22:00 (50m)