Empowered femininity and glorious absurdity: ‘Queen C*nt – Sacred or Profane?’

The intimate theatre of the Cube Microplex was filled with outrageous bravery on Saturday March 3rd, as a pair of latex-clad activists asked us exactly why the word ‘c*nt’ is so feared in society.

Performers and feminists Deborah Antoinette Ward and China Blue Fish took centre stage in a cleverly crafted sketch show that celebrated the female form in the most explicitly honest language, truly fit for a twenty-first century audience.

Through exaggerated physicalisation and costumes, a collection of characters delivered some shocking (and some not-so-shocking) home-truths. The use of surrealism brought to light some issues that usually would be ignored, such as a very real and very prevalent political party, and how mistreated the image of the Virgin Mary is.

Along with stage manager Maeve Bell (who appeared as an abstract caricature of herself), and a projected video of Naomi Smyth, these women have created an experience that manages to make the awkward comfortable and the absurd a reality. Audience participation never fails to strike up an interesting layer to a show, and in this case it made the piece infinitely more enjoyable. From exploding party poppers and shouting ‘c*nt’ to recreating porn with two hilarious old ladies and singing a feminist anthem, we were never short of something to do.

It was a uniting afternoon between like-minded people, which reaffirmed my confidence in the human race. The audience was not at all shy about joining in somewhat taboo suggestions. I cannot help but biasedly believe that our show in particular was rather special because of this. Fish, Ward, and Bell were extremely accommodating with malfunctions, as true comedians are – technical difficulties and several interruptions by a baby were no hindrance to them. They incorporated these instances into their performance completely seamlessly.

China Blue Fish completely astounded with her rendition of ‘Like A Virgin’ whilst half naked with a can of (I believe) gin and tonic. Deborah Antoinette left us speechless with her parodic monologue from a greying female politician, shockingly similar to Theresa May, in favour of fracking. The characters were somehow completely relatable, with a strange strand of realism present in the perfect cacophony of abstract absurdism.

A completely innovative and effective piece of modern comedic theatre, packed with rich humour and poignant stances on bringing ‘taboo’ feminism into the light, Queen C*nt is a show that will leave you wanting to overthrow the patriarchy and actually loving your genitals – an empowering revelation of what it is to be a female.

‘Queen C*nt: Sacred or Profane?’ was performed at the Cube Microplex on 02-03/03/18.