Darren Stewart-Jones
The show program for The Ding Dong Girls states, "This Fringe production is an abridged version of a longer, two-act musical." Unfortunately, this was somewhat obvious to me as an audience member when, at one point, the show seemed to suddenly jump to the last performance of the Ding Dong Girls, a fictional drag troupe in early 1990s Toronto, without too much happening beforehand. I felt liked I had missed some of the plot.
That being said, The Ding Dong Girls is a crazy, camp, mishmash of a show that had the opening night audience howling with laughter. The opening night blunders of dropped running shoes, misplaced clothes hangers and stray eyelashes only served to add to the onstage hilarity. Graham Conway, a strong performer, is a great casting choice for the show's centrepiece and heroine, Marni. And those gams!
The Ding Dong Girls provides some wonderful eye candy in co-writer Christopher Richard's costumes and performer Oscar Moreno's almost naked body. Lisa Lambert, songwriter of the Fringe hit The Drowsy Chaperone, provides the silly, fun musical numbers. Some of the script's more serious moments were glossed over too quickly for me in favour of getting back to the hijinks but the audience seemed to love the sheer campiness of the show.
The Ding Dong Girls is Toronto's version of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and I left the theatre with a smile on my face. I'd like to see it again in its complete format.
Tickets and info for all Toronto Fringe shows can be found at fringetoronto.com
The show program for The Ding Dong Girls states, "This Fringe production is an abridged version of a longer, two-act musical." Unfortunately, this was somewhat obvious to me as an audience member when, at one point, the show seemed to suddenly jump to the last performance of the Ding Dong Girls, a fictional drag troupe in early 1990s Toronto, without too much happening beforehand. I felt liked I had missed some of the plot.
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The Ding Dong Girls provides some wonderful eye candy in co-writer Christopher Richard's costumes and performer Oscar Moreno's almost naked body. Lisa Lambert, songwriter of the Fringe hit The Drowsy Chaperone, provides the silly, fun musical numbers. Some of the script's more serious moments were glossed over too quickly for me in favour of getting back to the hijinks but the audience seemed to love the sheer campiness of the show.
The Ding Dong Girls is Toronto's version of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and I left the theatre with a smile on my face. I'd like to see it again in its complete format.
Tickets and info for all Toronto Fringe shows can be found at fringetoronto.com
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