REVIEW: THE CATALOGUE OF SEXUAL ANXIETIES at White Bear Theatre 27 - 28 September 2024

‘Hilarious and stimulating, the Hysterical Ladies are like Loose Women on steroids.’ ★★★★

Welcome to the ‘Catalogue of Sexual Anxieties’, the meta-talk show-turned-musical-turned-cabaret hosted by the Hysterical Ladies' very own Charlotte Szabo, Marion Poll and Aniqa Chariana. Tune in to sing, dance and gab about all things sex, from hygiene mishaps to fertility concerns to uncommon kinks. The trio embrace these otherwise unarticulated topics with a refreshing unabashedness, embracing the female sexual experience with none of the typical euphemism usually expressed in fringe theatre. Having gotten used to the odd ‘wink to the audience’ style of sexual humour, it was refreshing to find performers not only embracing crudity but turning it into song! And on that note, the direction by Ines Amoura and choreography by Mallory Cheminet is seamless, balancing several different theatrical elements without any of them overwhelming the production as a whole.

It must be said that, while voracious, the Hysterical Ladies treated every topic they approached with careful respect. The cultural backgrounds of a Catholic Frenchwoman, Muslim Canadian and English lass combine to create a genuinely educational insight into how different women approach sexual matters. Nobody is right and nobody is wrong but the opinions of each woman are accepted as fact. Coupled with the occasional tidbit on sexual history (my favourite being that in the 1850s, dung was used to prevent impregnation), I found this cabaret/musical/comedy to be surprisingly insightful and a tad emotional. Szabo, Poll and Chariana convey an emotional depth regarding how sexual matters have affected their lives, made them feel confused or lesser, in a way that many others may relate to but find themselves unable to articulate. For this reason, I recommend gathering your girlfriends and giving ‘The Catalogue of Sexual Anxieties’ a watch.

The Catalogue of Sexual Anxieties

The White Bear Theatre, 19th September to 28th September 2024

Book tickets https://www.whitebeartheatre.co.uk/whatson/the-catalogue-of-sexual-anxieties

Au Haz’Art Theatre Company

Written and performed by Three Hysterical Ladies: Aniqa Charania, Marion Poli and Charlotte Szabo

Directed by Ines Amoura

Choreographed by Mallory Cheminet