I have to be honest, in that I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from this performance.
A one-woman performance from a white woman from Paris, France about Sex and Hip Hop - but I was advised it was absolutely on theme - talking about bisexuality so I cleared my schedule and returned to Theatre N16 for the second night in a row!
I am really glad I made the effort to come along at the last minute. What I got was a 40 minute performance which was as entertaining as it was educational. She opens by attempting to sing and dance, shows that she isn't quite able to pull it off, and quickly launches into how she is allowed to put a play on about hip hop as a white privileged woman because the organisers are also white. From the outset it is clear that Roxy is going to be pushing boundaries, questioning expectations, and ultimately making the audience laugh out loud.
Now, whilst Roxy is listed as being from Paris, France - the majority of her performance is in a New York accent - mixing between posh New York suburbs and the rough and ready Bronx. Then part way through, when talking about her idol, she switches to a French accent that is as beautiful as the Bronx accent is rough - a perfect juxtaposition.
Roxy isn't afraid to talk about topics that many avoid. Race, class, sexuality and privilege all get a mention as Roxy combines rhyming spoken word with hip hop and talks of her wish that hip hop lyrics were less misogenistic and more inspirational. She highlights some lyrics in particular and how utterly anti-women they are (We Made You by Eminem, Big Booty Hoes by Notorious B.I.G., Boss Ass Bitch by Nicki Minaj and Milkshake by Kelis to name a few).
She talks of how, no-one can say 'all men' for no-one has actually met all men - although when she quotes an example of "all men want to get between your legs" a man in the audience shrugs to suggest that perhaps this may be the case - to which Roxy points out that some men prefer the rear - one of a number of nods to the LGBT community.
Roxy herself talks about her bisexuality, what that means, and how that impacts her life. She also talks of Edith Piaf, and how she fought oppression and rose from the cobbled streets of Paris to the high penthouses of New York (this was the bit where the French and the accent came out!).
I particularly liked the intersection of tracks such as Fight Song by Rachel Platten and Miley Cyrus Wrecking Ball showing how non-hip hop songs are providing more inspiration - however Roxy likes how hip hop is unapologetic, loud, in your face and strong. Yet whilst being all this - it also highlights our flaws...
My favourite part was the parody video that Roxy created to show how ridiculous hip hop videos are these days. It featured two white women twerking, throwing money, pearing out from behind monuments and generally dancing provocatively in fields. The audience was in hysterics from start to finish.
Roxy's inner hip hop artist definitely is her strength and for a debut performance it was inspiringly honest and inspiring, and very well written. Well worth catching.
ABOUT THE WHITE FEMINIST'S GUIDE TO SEX AND HIP HOP
by @RBourges
Firstly: She loves hip hop. Deeply.
Secondly: She is white. Very.
Third of all: She hates when people say thirdly.
Fourthly: She does sex. Bisexually.
Finally: She has discovered feminism. Revolutionary!
A one woman comedy show in verse, that explores hip hop, sex, feminism, and cultural appropriation through the eyes of a privileged white girl.
CAST
Roxane Bourges
DATES
- Thur 12 Oct @ 7.30pm
- Sat 14 Oct @ 7.30pm
ABOUT MAIDEN SPEECH
Produced by Lexi Clare Productions @LexiClareNZ
From dark comedy to lip-sync, Shakespearean cabaret to rap, Maiden Speech is a theatre festival featuring a striking selection of original works by emerging artists.
Maiden Speech promises to be a festival that entertains and provokes, engaging with questions of gender and sexuality through a myriad of stories and styles. Brought to you by a team of recent Mountview graduates, this festival marks the first time these nine pieces have been performed on a London stage.
Join us for the first instalment of Maiden Speech; two weeks of compelling new theatre, ideas and faces to watch out for.
Maiden Speech is playing at TheatreN16 in Balham from 10-21 October 2017.
@MaidenSpeech #MaidenSpeech
https://www.lexiclareproductions.com
Tickets:
- 1 Show: £10
- 2 Shows: £15 (Not applicable for the same show)
- 3 Shows: £20 (Not applicable for the same show)
- Festival Pass: £25 (See as many shows as you like)
OTHER PERFORMANCES IN THIS FESTIVAL THAT WE RECOMMEND WITH AN LBQ THEME
INSIDE OUT
By @Stina_Bloom
Inside Out is a show about discovering identity and defying stereotypes in a world that insists upon boxing, packaging, and labelling.
Christina Bloom shares her experience with matters of the heart in this thought-provoking look at sexuality through the eyes of a one-woman, 'one-man' band. This show explores the cruelty of life, while celebrating small victories and progress towards acceptance.
CAST
Christina Bloom
DATES
- Wed 11 Oct @ 7.30pm
- Fri 13 Oct @ 7.30pm
- Sat 14 Oct @ 4.00pm
MA, AM I GOOD IN BED?
By @roisin_bevan and @sineadbmakeup
Some things you should only ever say to your sister. The Duffy girls wanted to be sexy. They wanted to be good at sex. When they actually started having sex, they quickly realised they were neither sexy, nor particularly good at it. To their dismay, the world of sex is bloody complicated.
Ma, Am I Good In Bed? is a hilarious and honest conversation between two sisters who just really need each other.
CAST
- Roisin Bevan
- Sinead Bevan
DATES
- Sat 14 Oct @ 6.30pm
- Wed 18 Oct @ 7.30pm
- Sat 21 Oct @ 6.30pm
PURPLE SNOWFLAKES AND TITTY WANKS
by @sarahhanly3
Purple Snowflakes and Titty Wanks is a vibrant story of survival, a fearless example of semi-autobiographical storytelling and Irish humour.
We follow Sarah as she navigates her way through grief, drunken nights, and a variety of sexual exploits in a hilarious and heartbreaking one-woman show about mental illness, sexuality, and friendship.
CAST
Sarah Hanly
DIRECTOR
Alice Fitzgerald
DATES
- Tue 10 Oct @ 8.20pm SOLD OUT
- Fri 20 Oct @ 8.20pm
- Sat 21 Oct @ 8.20pm
