When did women become so wiley?
This is the first thought that springs to mind when watching Lysistrata, a community production that puts a satirical twist on Aristophanes’ classic tale.
Held at the Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre last Friday night, the play was in no uncertain terms, ballsy.
Lysistrata tells the story of Athenian women coming together to stop the war in their home the only way they know how – no sex until there is peace in the land.
The concept made for a strong series of sex jokes and man versus women face offs, all portrayed in jest by the actors embodying the roles.
Presented as part of BREC’s community access grant, it was clear the community faces made the production shine.
Caris Hilder took the role of Lysistrata, head female of the abstinence movement by the horns, with subtle gestures and smooth delivery making her an enthralling character to watch throughout the work.
Hilder’s smooth Lysistrata was fantastically contrasted by the women who were her support, with Nina Smith, Sarah Neale, Renee Kaczmarcka and Sarah Mills all bringing the laughs with their punchy delivery and cheeky facial expressions to hammer the point home that it is girls who run the world.
Surprisingly, the men of the production were able to convey their sexless angst with complete believability, the use of balloons a very humorous means to express the ticking time bomb for a peace agreement to be reached before the men come undone.
As a group, the men and women of the production worked together wonderfully, the on stage comradeship evident from the moment they walked onto the stage to the moment they left, singing along to their final tune.
The only real downfall was the volume of sound effects intended to be in the background that overwhelmed the projected voices of the leads at times, meaning the audience on more than one occasion missed a punch line.
One thing that was impossible to miss was the element of nudity they surprised audiences with in the final moments, a move that took real balls to say the least from one of the leading ladies.
In terms of a community production, it was easily one of the most entertaining seen in the South West.
Light hearted, fun and a real crowd pleaser, the play was able to cause laughs while also asking the question if women were in charge, what the world would be like.
I know who I’d vote for.
