Australian Booty: The Fatty-Boom-Boom Remix

 

Candy B is back!  Re-working material from last year’s Melbourne Fringe Festival performance of Australian Booty, Candy’s revamped Australian Booty: The Fatty-Boom-Boom Remix deserves a standing ovation. Candy B is a master of her craft and this recent work showcases her many talents as an accomplished writer, actor, comedian and singer.

Candy B (Photograpyh by Sean Young)

Last year when I saw Australian Booty at the Melbourne Fringe Festival, I was left wondering about the narrative flow of her show.  However, this year there were no questions – just awe, respect and admiration at Candy’s bravery and skill at transforming pain and anger into a coherent piece of theatre and comedy. Candy walks onto stage with a figure-hugging hot crimson dress and her material ranges from a story about being bullied at school for being black to a song dedicated to all the curvaceous ladies in a food court.  With fierce pride and candid wit, Candy examines the facets of Australian identity and normalised standards of beauty.  Candy isn’t afraid of saying what she thinks and her comedy slices through a lot of bullshit and double standards, such as the time when golliwogs were taken down from a city toy store because Oprah was on a visit, only to be re-shelved after she left.  Even though Candy deals with dark issues such as racism, sexism, disease and body image, she handles the content with integrity and skilfully entertains her audiences as well.

Accompanied by her equally talented sister Busty Beatz, the duo are a powerful force.  Busty’s musical direction added emotional depth to Candy’s stories, generating a theatrical feel to this cabaret-style comedy show. It was also awesome to see Busty take on a more performative role this time; she opens the show with a rap and track-suit “striptease” (underneath one layer was another). Candy belts out catchy, original tunes (including my all-time favourite – “Yo’ Mama so Phat”, a sassy reclamation of this usually derogatory phrase) which really should have mainstream radio airplay and a music video. I am itching to get my hands on a Candy B and Busty Beatz album one day.

Australian Booty: The Fatty-Boom-Boom Remix is a sophisticated feminist, anti-racist critique of Australian society, as well as a riotous celebration of more encompassing concepts of beauty. Together with Busty Beatz’s musical talent, Candy B’s Australian Booty: The Fatty-Boom-Boom Remix is a memorable show, one that deserves high accolades, and one you won’t easily forget.

Australian Booty: The Fatty-Boom-Boom Remix was at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival 11-15 April

Upcoming shows:

Brisbane Powerhouse 30 May – 10 June

For other season dates, check out Candy B’s website – Australian Booty – http://australianbooty.com/

Here’s a peak at Candy’s Australian Booty instructional video.

Author: Lian Low

Lian Low is a writer, editor and spoken word artist. She’s currently at large in Peril‘s outer orbit. Previously editor-in-chief (2010-2014) , prose editor (2009-2014) and on Peril‘s Board until 2016. Find her on http://lianlow.weebly.com/ and Twitter @Lian__Low

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