Ladylike gets off to a rather standard start with an introduction to the double act’s caricatured personalities, which aren’t anything novel: Victoria Temple-Morris is arrogant and thinks she can go it alone, whilst Louise Fitzgerald is a bit dim and oblivious to her partner’s opinion of her. This opening forecasts mediocre sketches with tired premises – luckily this emerges not to be the case after all. The duo presents slick and entertaining scenes and a cast of cleverly portrayed characters.
Fitzgerald and Temple-Morris have chosen to accompany their sketches with parodies of popular songs which definitely form the weaker set of material. The lyrics are rather uninspired and at times a bit lazy. They’re both skilled actors, and whilst a song or two during an hour’s show might kick the energy up a notch and can be an enjoyable break from the norm, Ladies Live Longer relies too much on a form of comedy that doesn’t seem to be Ladylike’s strength.
Simply put, their common or garden dialogue-and-action sketches are far better than their music. There’s a brilliant scene in the middle of the show starring two frantic mothers trying to get through everyday chores that is near perfect – it really doesn’t need the reworked Gilbert and Sullivan tune tagged onto the end of it. They seem to be trying to do something a bit different at the expense of quality and it doesn’t pay off at all.
The songs aside, this show is packed with high energy sketches, brilliantly observed characters and plenty of wit. It goes out on a high with a silent sketch about two women on their way to work that is an excellent and wonderfully anarchic piece of silent comedy.
Drop the songs, ladies: you’re better than they let on.
