32

Shebang’s 32 follows the lives of lifelong friends Becky and Maisie, from their birth in Staines General Car Park, to the present day and subsequently, the age at which this show is named after. Marred by many a setback, the professional pair have thankfully decided to turn their negatives into a pool of positives and present it to us as a comedic cabaret.

The pair undeniably brought a cabaret jam-packed with comedy; with endless applause and uproarious laughter from the audience

Its opening dance number to Survivor's Eye of the Tiger instantly showed how the best friends differed in their levels of physical fitness. This proved a completely appropriate way to start the show, as the characters’ stark contrast continually resulted in numerous jokes that were to grace the audience throughout.

Becky's foray into teaching French was a particular highlight, with one audience member thinking so too as he joined her in speaking the language. Not at all stunted by his call-outs, she joked that the top student of the class was in. The musical accompaniment that was Edith Piaf's Non, je ne regrette rien was particularly amusing, as Maisie gave viewers the opportunity to throw paper planes at Becky during her recital.

Despite the abundance of comical skits that adorned this production, there were elements of tragedy as well. Maisie's recounting of her attempts at aerial acrobatics was just one of them. Impressively contorting into various positions, her pitfall came as one of the bars failed and resulted in her breaking several of her vertebrae. Thankfully, as the performers pointed out, there was no damage to her spinal cord; a moment of optimism that was reflected in Maisie's darkly humorous comment of it being “a low moment”.

The narrative of the cabaret centered on the many short-lived and unsuccessful jobs they had had. This was hilariously reflected in their purposeful misuse of props that they continually produced from their collection throughout the show. The pair undeniably brought a cabaret jam-packed with comedy; the endless applause and uproarious laughter from the audience were indicators enough and the effortless flexibility they employed in catering specifically to their audience leaves me in no doubt this show will go far.