Fresh from their multi award-winning success at festivals across Australia, the all-singing, all-dancing all-fighting Fringe Wives Club make their Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut at Assembly Roxy this August.
Part explosive comedy cabaret, part interactive edu-tainment: Fringe Wives Club – Glittery Clittery is a sequin-clad, champagne-fuelled, cosmic feminist extravaganza is guaranteed to blow minds and pants.
This timely and uncompromising feminist call-to-arms is created and performed by physical comedy queen Tessa Waters (Winner: Best Comedy Weekly Award, Adelaide Fringe 2017, Womanz/Over Promises/Fully Sik), musical comedy powerhouse Victoria Falconer (Winner: London Cabaret Award 2015, EastEnd Cabaret/Yeti’s Demon Dive Bar) and acclaimed comedian and storyteller Rowena Hutson (Winner: Most Outstanding Comedy Melbourne Fringe 2015, Strong Female Character).
Fringe Wives Club: Glittery Clittery (A ConSENSUAL Party) is coming to Assembly Roxy – Upstairs  what can you tell us about it?           Â
It’s a be-sequined, champagne-fuelled extravaganza of original songs and epic dance moves. It’s fierce, feminist and furiously funny. It’s also a celebration of femmes supporting femmes and taking up space in a gloriously inclusive and loving space.
What’s the one thing about Fringe Wives Club makes it different from all the rest?   Â
Well, other than a six-foot, anatomically correct vulva made of crushed velvet, I’d say it’s that we keep the space open for everyone to learn. We want to meet our audiences wherever their minds are at. If you feel like your mind is blown ten minutes into the show and you need to walk out so you can have a stiff drink while you absorb what you’ve seen and heard – that’s totally fine. Or you might find the show challenges some of your preconceptions, but that you’re actually really into that – and so you stay for the whole show, and then you stay for drinks afterwards, and then you decide you want to come again the next night to keep learning and practicing what you’ve learnt. That’s ok too.
What inspired you to write Fringe Wives Club?Â
Two years ago we were having brunch and bloody marys mid-Edinburgh Fringe. We were all working on different shows and had frustratingly been experiencing a lot of sexist and misogynist behaviour as we moved and performed around the fringe. We were so tired, angry and bored with that kind of behaviour. But we’re comedians, so we started making each other laugh with our stories and fantasy ideas of how we could change the world for the better. Two years later, multiple awards and a hell of a lot of bottles of bubbles, and that conversation is what got us here!
How did you research the subject?       Â
We read as much as we could get our hands on. We discussed and dissected our personal experiences of sexism, misogyny and being female-IDing people in the world. Until #metoo erupted last year – a lot of these things were discussed behind closed doors, not in a public forum. And we wanted to help break open that pattern of shame and secrecy. We want to offer our audiences a safe place to feel heard, to feel empowered and to feel supported to reclaim space.
How does it feel to be at Assembly Roxy?         Â
After years and years on the touring Fringe circuit, the Assembly team have all come to feel like family, and so bringing our fierce, furiously funny, feminist glittering party into their safe but sexy (and mega talented) hands feels so good. It feels like sinking into a hot bubble bath. But the kind of bubble bath that you only ever see in the movies – those ones in the spa bath that’s filled with rose petals and with bottles of champagne being chilled within arms reach. Essentially – it feels f**king fabulous.
What would you say to people thinking of coming to see Fringe Wives Club?            Â
If you’re curious, come along. If you’ve never seen anything like it or you’re not sure if you’re a feminist, come along. If you laugh saying the show name, come along. If you think we’re all equal already, come along. Wherever you’re at in your mind – we’re here to broach hard-to-talk-about topics in an open and accessible way. We encourage discourse. We also encourage dancing and making out consensually, so it’s not all academia! We’re here to have a good time and change the world with a glass of champagne in hand. So grab a glass, and join the party.
Fringe Wives Club: Glittery Clittery (A ConSENSUAL Party) is at Assembly Roxy – Upstairs 1st – 26th August (not 13th)
