Adelaide Fringe

Fringe Review: Betty Grumble: LOVE AND ANGER (or Sex Clown Saves the World Again!)

Betty Grumble presents a powerful, fun and energetic one-woman show where no topic is off limits, from the oppression of minorities to her pubic hair, it’s quite literally all out there

Presented by Betty Grumble
Reviewed 14 March 2018

Betty Grumble presents a powerful, fun and energetic one-woman show where no topic is off limits, from the oppression of minorities to her pubic hair, it’s quite literally all out there.

With her monologues, poetry and singing, Grumble combats capitalism, the obsession with the economy and #notallmen, all serious subjects in today’s society, but presented in her uniquely obscene and outrageous way. Not once does she falter on this powerful personal journey, wholeheartedly giving everything she has to her performance, producing inspiring messages for her enthralled audience.

It is completely obvious that Grumble’s fanatical love and anger comes from a powerfully burning passion inside her, especially when it comes to her own experiences including those involving her family. Her mother’s past is alive and well in her daughter’s own appreciation of her body. Nudity, genitalia and female sexuality are large parts of Grumble’s show, challenging what is considered presentable in mainstream media and what society has deemed acceptable. Most of the show is presented in the nude – flesh, body hair, nipples but, as the shock wears off, all these visual factors blend into the relevance of the show’s content. The occasional costumes and make up (when worn) match Grumble’s outrageous personality in a complex chaos of colours, patterns and flowers.

One negative that really did impact the show was that the stage simply was not high enough and some of Grumble’s most shocking acts were simply missed by audience members in the middle and back rows. This appears to be very poor planning, as much of the show requires the audience to fully witness Grumble’s often humorously confronting behaviour right before their very eyes.

Betty Grumble: LOVE AND ANGER (or Sex Clown Saves The World Again!) is outrageously enjoyable theatre as, while exploring similar topics as other shows (equality, feminism and capitalism), it provides a refreshingly different way of experiencing these messages. This is a naked gem amongst The Garden’s Delights.

Reviewed by Georgina Smerd
Twitter: @Georgie_xox

Rating out of 5:  4

Venue: Cupola at The Garden of Unearthly Delights, Rundle Park / Kadlitpina, Cnr East Tce & Rundle Rd, Adelaide, SA, 5000
Season:  14 – 18 March
Duration:  60 mins
Tickets:  $25 – $32
Bookings: https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/betty-grumble-love-anger-or-sex-clown-saves-the-world-again-af2018

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