PSYCHO BEACH PARTY
Image: Photo by Sarah Walker
Kitsch-mas has arrived early with the Little Ones Theatre’s production of Charles Busch’s Psycho Beach Party – a campy cult play fusing 50s psycho-thrillers with 60s teen surfer and 80s slasher flicks.
It’s Malibu Beach in 1962 and 16 year-old Florence “Chicklet” Forrest (Ash Flanders) wants to learn to surf and be one of the boys. Pity about her multiple personality disorder, which Flanders revels in switching from inexhaustible naive to homicidal maniac.
There are strong and playful performances from the cast, including Genevieve Giuffre who plays Chicklet’s best friend Berdine. All execute their one-dimensional parody characters with deadpan comic timing, if at times the interaction seems stilted (intentionally, or not.)
Owen Phillips’ set design steers clear of bright beach colours and favours a kitsch mix of black and leopard print from the carpeted stage to the actresses’ hair clips.
Psycho Beach Party irreverently tackles pop culture, sexuality and neurosis with camp flourish and subversive humour.
The B-52’s Rock Lobster and Le Tigre’s TKO give the cast an opportunity to treat the audience to some outstanding and energetic go-go dancing.
Until Dec 15, The Bondi Pavilion Theatre, Bondi Beach, $21-33, 1300 241 167, rocksurfers.org
