Girl Culture review (Melbourne International Comedy Festival)

What do Barbie, Taylor Swift, and the Matildas have in common? They’re all smashing girl culture. But what even is girl culture? Alex Hines is here to tell us, singing, dancing and thrashing her way through it. In Girl Culture, she throws herself into this recent wave of female success, exploring it using her signature blend of chaotic madness, camp excess, and offbeat feminist satire.

Hines is her usual frantic self on stage, as if she’s just thought about this show now and needs to expel every idea from her brain before it bursts. The energy is infectious. You don’t simply sit and watch Alex Hines: you strap in, and strap in tight, because it's definitely going to be a bumpy night.

The show is a series of performances and musical moments, with a standout being a noir-inspired bit on the invention of Coke Zero and how it was used to lure men to drink it, men who would not touch Diet Coke due to its apparent feminine appeal. It’s equal parts absurd and weirdly insightful, delivered with all the suspense of a vintage detective flick. Not all acts hit the mark unfortunately, including Petie the Prepubescent Spider, which while entertaining, doesn’t fit in here, something that is further acknowledged by Hines once it is over, so hopefully adjustments can be made here.

The production values are aesthetically strong, especially the costume design, even with the wardrobe malfunction that’s to do with her dress made of ties. Petie’s spider attire may be understated, but it is still ridiculous. It's her final outfit that wins the evening though, and it’s best experienced without spoilers. She also makes clever use of projection, weaving static and moving images into her musical numbers and sketches, such as a bizarrely brilliant use of Pauline Hanson footage and a nod to Shen Yun, the Chinese contemporary dance company.

Girl Culture might not be Hines' strongest work, but she’s a pro at unleashing the chaos and seeing what sticks. It is a wildly messy, contradictory and outrageous look at feminism, that could do with a little refinement, but what makes this show great is Hines' ability to grab at something like girl culture and simultaneously celebrate and tear it to pieces.

SHOW DETAILS

Venue: The Malthouse, 113 Sturt St, Southbank
Season: until 20 April | Tues - Sat 8.45pm, Sun 7.45pm
Duration: 60 minutes
Tickets: $30 - $35 Full | $25 - $30 Conc | $25 Tightarse Tuesday
Bookings: Melbourne International Comedy Festival