Strap in for a fresh funny hour of catchy, witty ditties as real-life sisters Nicola and Rosie Dempsey present Flo & Joan Alive On Stage this Edinburgh. Opening with ‘Welcome’ – a song for all like-minded liberals to nod along to – the ladies tackle all the wrongs in the world that could do with being shown the door. Without doubt we’re in the company of two talented twenty-somethings as they deliver tongue-twisting, punchy and political plosives that set the tone for an hour that will tackle feminism and toxic masculinity with no bullshit.
Celebrating female identity, the pair mock old-fashioned perceptions of femininity that have led to companies like Doritos bringing out smaller crisps or Bic releasing patronising pink biros designed for women. ‘Lady Crisps’ comes next in a long line of tuneful, smart and silly numbers from Flo & Joan as they cover topics such as weddings (well, divorces), sex robots and binge drinking. The packed out Cabaret Bar were tapping their toes along in time and desperately trying to wrap their tongues around ‘Cracker Packer Carol’ as we’re invited to try to keep up with the ladies’ impressively tight, complex wordplay.
Nicola and Rosie perform with perfect diction, combined with impressive piano, recorder, castanets and egg shaker skills, you can easily forgive the odd note sung sharp. The main thing they need to work on is audience interaction between tracks. However, the sisters become visibly more relaxed and confident on stage as the audience settles in. In tune with each other in more ways than one, they pick up on cues and spontaneous remarks without missing a beat. Besides, it’s little wonder that their confidence has been knocked of late. Since appearing in Nationwide TV adverts, the girls subsequently, disgustingly, had to deal with social media trolls sending death threats. Rather than entirely ignore the incident, Nicola and Rosie take on the troll in question with a dignified and extremely amusing response through a heartfelt song dedicated to the man’s two daughters. It is a truly inspired track that should truly hit him where it hurts; his ego.
★★★★
Flo & Joan Alive On Stage are at The Pleasance Courtyard, Cabaret Bar at 16:00 between 1st – 26th August. For tickets visit: www.edfringe.com
Our coverage of the Edinburgh Fringe comes to you with the support of Starling Bank, the mobile-only bank that takes your money seriously. Through their campaign #MakeMoneyEqual, Starling is promoting the often difficult conversations about money and giving women a voice.
