Double act Flossy and Boo present their curiosity shop, a magical hour of stories inspired by an eclectic collection of novelty objects in their mobile cart. Dressed in puff sleeved smocks, wild colourful wigs and baby doll make-up, sisters Flossy and Boo (Anja Conti and Laura Jeffs) warmly invite us into their dreamlike world, shaking hands with every member of the audience and asking everybody’s name on arrival.
The stories of wild adventures (from the rolling arctic tundra to the deep dark sea) are told through an appealing, well-combined mixture of choreographed movement, ukulele songs and a hilarious cacophony of sounds effects of their own making.
The duo are impossibly cute and bubbly, but avoid slipping over into annoying perkiness. They are both beautiful singers and accomplished storytellers with huge imaginations. Flossy, with long pink hair and rosy cheeks, is sweet and authoritative, whilst freckly Boo, in a messy blue wig, is the mischievous younger sister.
Flossy and Boo have run away from the circus to start their shop and throughout the show we are introduced to a zany collection of characters from their past, all of whom have distinct accents, accessories and accompanying curious objects. Amongst others there is a beautiful bearded lady, an incompetent fortune teller and a nasty Octopus who jealously guards an enormous pearl. The stories of wild adventures (from the rolling arctic tundra to the deep dark sea) are told through an appealing, well-combined mixture of choreographed movement, ukulele songs and a hilarious cacophony of sounds effects of their own making. Their use of makeshift percussion is a highlight of the show, including one memorable moment when Boo makes a drum out of a metal serving plate.
Aside from their precocious talent, what makes Conti and Jeffs stand out is their onstage chemistry. As sisters, Flossy and Boo are sweetly affectionate, pre-empting each other’s next move and Flossy bosses her sister about mercilessly. They perfectly recreate a close sibling relationship, whether breaking off to whisper to each other with their backs turned, or bickering and grabbing each other’s hands when they feel scared. Jeffs and Conti tell their stories in a formal way with choreographed gestures, simple sentences and repetition perfectly pitched for children. They are also masters of the kazoo. The show involves some audience participation which they handle very well, gently playing with their chosen victims whilst making sure they still feel comfortable.
