‘These are my tits,’ says the woman on stage wearing nothing but a pair of black high heels and a red pillbox hat, ‘Feel free to look at them.’ Strutting her way from Tunbridge, Miss Glory Pearl takes to the stage with literally nothing else but her comedy. A burlesque dancer gone secondary school teacher, gone comedian, gone naked comedian, Miss Glory Pearl provides an amusing comedy romp that promises to be funny and genuine in its routine (and strangely arousing if you’re in the front row). If you haven’t gathered by now, yes: she is naked.
The messages Miss Pearl delivers are simple: care less, love yourself more, and do enjoy the occasional steak bake from Greggs.
Miss Pearl begins with a legal disclaimer about the nature of being naked, so if you happen to be secretly jacking-off in the back row you’d better be aware of the consequences. As nudity is the dominant feature, you may begin to wonder how long the thrill of seeing a naked woman on stage can last. Is the humour derived from nakedness? Yes. Does it rely upon it? Somewhat. But Miss Pearl doesn’t linger on her bare behind for the entire show and instead expands upon the pressure of trends and visual appearance in a comical discussion of body image. Whilst feminist by nature, Miss Pearl admits that she believes obsession with appearances is not some patriarchal plot designed to inhibit the confidence of her sisters but the result of capitalism and the exposure to tacky fashion magazines and gossip columns such as Heat and Closer, a problem which affects both men and women.
Another amusing and high point of the night would be the ‘shame game’, where Miss Pearl interacts with the audience and questions them upon the things they like and dislike about themselves. The show takes you through the imprisonment of self-hatred ascribed by ourselves to the shores of self-acceptance. The messages Miss Pearl delivers are simple: care less, love yourself more, and do enjoy the occasional steak bake from Greggs. Feel good comedy at its best, Miss Glory Pearl reimburses her audience with self-esteem and laughter.
