Review: Hormonal Housewives - New Wimbledon Theatre
Hormonal Housewives
We are presented with an open stage, with a huge video screen backdrop, and 3 chairs with pink jackets over them. That is is for the set for this show, very basic and all media driven. Margi Clarke, Laura Checkley and Julie Coombe enter to 'Here Come The Girls' by the Sugababes, dressed in black, then the music shifting to Club Tropicana to welcome us to the Hormonal Housewives Holiday Camp.
This is where we get inundated with very tiring and dated jokes about men, why men are no good, why women don't like or need men, etc etc. The problem with this sort of humour is that it went out in the 80's, and that is where it should stay. Female comedians we know and love today, like Jo Brand, Andi Osho, Gina Yashere, and Sarah Millican would get slated for using this kind of material, and that is why they don't. It simply doesn't work.
Hormonal Housewives is a series of sketches which follows the lives of three women as they battle against weight gain, weight loss, mood swings, wine, PMS, men, going to the gym, waxing, stretch marks, men, chocolate, upper-lip hair, chocolate, men, chocolate and all the other joys of being a 21st Century girls.
Act one is very slow and seems to drag, especially the scene in the court house when a woman used 'that time of the month' to get away with a crime. And as there is no set, just the video screen, there isn't an awful lot to look at which adds to the boredom of the scene.
The waxing scene on the other hand redeems itself and is a funny end taking us into the interval.
Act two picks up pace, and is overall funnier, with the three women in pink velour tracksuits doing zumba fitness and using aerobics balls, the use of props and speeding up the action does wonders for this show, and a very funny moment happens when they are stretching and funny noises happen.
The sketch where they are teenagers is very funny, Laura Checkley standing out with her funny voice and mannerisms, and for me is the best amongst them to watch.
For the finale, they dress up as Kylie, Madonna and Cher and get the audience up dancing, possibly the highlight of the show.
The audience enjoyed it, but for me act one needs a lot of work. It seems slow and is rarely funny.
In complete contrast, act two comes to life and shows off the acting skills and humour that the show should be all about, not trashy like Loose Women in heat!
Hormonal Housewives is at NewWimbledon Theatre until Saturday 25th Feb then touring.
Milton Keynes Theatre 26 Feb @7.30pm Box Office 0844 871 7652
Dartford, Orchard Theatre 28 Feb @7.30pm Box Office 01322 220000
Cardiff New Theatre 29 Feb & 1st March @8pm Box Office 029 2087 8889
MARCH 2012
Dartford, Orchard Theatre 28 Feb @7.30pm Box Office 01322 220000
Cardiff New Theatre 29 Feb & 1st March @8pm Box Office 029 2087 8889
MARCH 2012
Shrewsbury Theatre Severn 2nd March @ 7.30pm Box Office 01743 281281
Harlow Playhouse 3rd March @ 7.30pm Box Office 01279 431945
Liverpool Empire 5th March @7.30pm Box Office 0844 871 3017
Wakefield Theatre Royal 6th March Box Office 01924 211 311
Grimsby Auditorium 7th March @7.30pm Box Office 0844 871 3016
Manchester Opera House 8th March @ 7.30pm Box Office 0844 871 7660
York Grand Opera House 9th March @ 7.30pm Box Office 0844 847 2322
Sheffield City Hall 10th March Box Office 01142 789 789
Derby Assembly Rooms 12th Mar @ 7.30pm Box Office 01332 255800
Birmingham Alexandra Theatre 13th March Box Office 0844 847 2302
Tunbridge Wells Assembly Hall Theatre 14th March Box Office 01892 530613
Worthing Pavilion 15th March @ 7.30pm Box Office 01903 206 206
Dunstable The Grove 16th March @7.30pm Box Office 01582 602080
Carlisle Sands Centre 17th March @ 7.30pm Box Office 01228 625222
Ipswich, Regent Theatre 19th March Box Office 01473 433100
Woking New Victoria Theatre
20 &21 March @ 7.30pm Box Office 0844 871 7645
Southend Cliffs Pavilion 22nd March @ 8pm Box Office 01702 351135
Basingstoke The Anvil 24th March Box Office 01256 844244
Aylesbury Waterside 25th March Box Office 0844 871 7627
Torquay Princess Theatre 26th March @ 7.30pm Box Office 0844 871 3023
Hayes Beck Theatre 27th March Box Office 020 8561 8371
Malvern Festival Theatre 28th March Box Office 01684 892277
Lowestoft Marina Theatre 29th March @ 7.30pm Box Office 01502 533200
Hastings White Rock 30th March @ 7.30pm Box office 01424 462288
APRIL 2012
Redhill Harlequin 1st April @ 8pm Box Office 01737765547
Darlington Civic 2nd April Box Office 01325 486555
Bridlington Spa 3rd April @ 7.30pm Box Office 01262 678258
New Brighton Floral Pavilion 4th April @ 7.30pm Box Office 0151 666 0000
Rhyl Pavilion 5th April @ 7.30pm Box Office 0870 330 0000
Buxton Opera House 10th April Box Office 0845 127 2190
Bradford St. George's Hall 11th April @ 7.30pm Box Office 01274 432 000
Hull New Theatre 12th April Box Office 01482 300 300
Whitley Bay Playhouse 13th & 14th April @ 7.30pm Box Office 0844 277 2771
Southport, Theatre and Convention Centre 16th April Box Office 01704 5000
Lichfield, Garrick Theatre 17th & 18th April Box Office 01543 412121
Nottingham, Concert Hall 19th April Box Office 0115 989 5555
Yeovil, Octagon Theatre 20th & 21st @ 7.30pm Box office 01935 422884
Bromley, Churchill Theatre 22nd April Box Office 020 8464 7131
Swindon, Wyvern Theatre 24th & 25th April Box Office 01793 524 481
Stevenage Gordon Craig Theatre 26th April @7.45pm Box Office 01438 363200
Brighton, Theatre Royal 27th & 28th April @ 7.30pm Box Office 0844 871 7627
Reading, The Hexagon 30th April Box Office 0118 9606060
May 2012
1st May DATE TBC
Kings Lynn Corn Exchange 2nd May @ 7.30pm Box Office 01553 764864
High Wycombe Swan 3rd May Box Office 01494 512 000
Crawley Hawth Theatre 4th May Box Office 01293 553636
Stoke, Regent Theatre 5th May Box Office 0870 060 6649
Weston Super Mare Playhouse 8th May Box Office 01934 645544
Wellingborough Castle 9th May Box Office 01933 270 007
Croydon, Ashcroft Theatre 10 May Box Office 020 8688 9291
Southsea King's 11 May Box Office 023 9282 8282
Watford, Colosseum 12 May 8pm Box Office 0845 075 3993.
Richmond Theatre 13 May Box Office 0870 060 665
