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Chastity Butterworth & The Spanish Hamster

A versatile and wry character act
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Chastity Butterworth & The Spanish Hamster

A versatile and wry character act

Game of Thrones star Gemma Whelan hangs up her breastplate to bring you frisky Victorian governess Chastity Butterworth in this show of allusion and frivolity. Chastity is down on her luck and off her frock on uppers. An hour in her company is quaint, sugary and suggestive – much like a spotted dick. But in this incongruous performance, the irrepressible Chastity isn’t concerned with such domestic affairs; she’s ‘garrotted on poppers’ and has a drug dealer to pay. When the posh stammering and inexplicable mammary-motioning subside, Chastity is a simply charming hostess. Whelan is superbly in tune with her audience, teasing and titillating at every opportunity. In a series of video clips, we’re introduced to the randy suitors vying for this lady’s affections. Here we see Whelan’s versatility in character comedy, allied to her plain and unpretentious desire to have fun with the show. There’s many a whimsical ditty included as Chastity regales the crowd with one-liners, plays and poetry, Whelan’s wry, flippant style reminiscent of Tim Key. However the comedian’s commanding flirtatiousness and vivacity make the genre firmly her own.

Assembly Roxy, 623 3030, until 26 Aug (not 12), 5.45pm, £9–£10 (£8–£9).

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