Review | Laura Money
Bite Me is the freshest new comedic play this FRINGEWORLD 2020. Elise Wilson directs this biting show with good humour and an original aesthetic that not only entertains but is subtly underscored with an intelligent, feminist commentary about the male gaze and the way women are socialised to always please. There are glaringly obvious metaphors – being left on the shelf, biological clocks ticking- one of the characters is a literal piece of meat – but it’s still subtle enough to be a fun show without a sermonising.
Avocado (Tallula Starkie) and Chilli (Courtney Cavallaro) enjoy the shelf life – they are happy to be in the fresh produce section of a supermarket. Starkie’s Avo is a gentle dig at the wellness-girls who read blogs and believe that if they manifest their thoughts will come true. She is hilarious when clashing with Cavallaro’s Chilli – an abrasive and ‘spicy’ figure whose arguments get a bit ‘heated!’ Their chemistry is good, though, Starkie’s wide-eyed optimism is in perfect contrast to Cavallaro’s cynical prickly nature. I’ve never thought of the supermarket as a metaphor for the male gaze, but Bite Me intelligently highlights the ridiculous standards society puts on vegetables women through its ‘red light special’ sequences. The girls show off all their assets to a sexy beat, posing and seducing the potential shopper.
Everything unravels when the best before stickers are savagely applied and a piece of Steak (Caitlyn McFeat) is carelessly abandoned by her vegetarian shopper and the dynamic shifts between the characters. Steak is new – ironically green in the greengrocer’s section – and must be taught how to attract a shopper (read: man) by the two more experienced products. The dialogue is clever and funny, the acting is on point – I defy anyone to not crack up at their antics. If you never thought you’d watch a sexual fantasy enacted by a chilli that is the funniest thing you’ll see all fringe, then you’re welcome for the heads up!
Bite Me is so much fun! It’s worth it for the humour alone, but the chemistry between the actors, the kitsch costumes, and the clever commentary on women’s bodies cement it as a show you shouldn’t miss. You’ll never look at the fresh section of a supermarket the same way again!
WHEN: 28th January – 1st February 2020 | 6:30pm
WHERE: The Main Space | BLUE ROOM THEATRE
INFO: Pricing $15 – $21 | Duration 50m | Suitability PG | Occasional Coarse Language, Sexual References, Strobe Lighting | THEATRE
TICKETS: https://fringeworld.com.au/whats_on/bite-me-fw2020
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