Ladylikes: Top Secret House Party!
Inventive and excitable look at people and parties
Ladylikes open the show by bouncing onstage with their very own version of Ke$ha's 'TiK ToK', an original and well-observed play on a night out. From there on in, you know you're in for an hour of fun and frolics. Ladylikes is comprised of Phoebe Batteson-Brown and Miztli Rose Neville, a peppy duo who are navigating the realities of life for young women in their late 20s and early 30s through a series of sketches set at different parties.
They take us from a Halloween party to school reunions, and from the office Christmas do to a New Year's Eve shindig set in an apocalyptic future. In each segment, they adopt different characters, allowing them to flex their talent for accents, but some of their creations feel like they're straight from the playbook of female tropes. They're at their strongest when they stray into more inventive territory, as when two old rivals stress about their upcoming school reunion, or when a pair of old friends get ready for a night out in their retirement home.
The duo were wise to start the show with a song and pepper them throughout, as it's here where they're at their funniest. Their lyrics are creative, witty and, at times, hard-hitting. This is a house party which isn't likely to remain top secret for long.
Just the Tonic at Marlin's Wynd, until 25 Aug, 9.25pm, £8 in advance or donations at the venue.