Review – Titty Bar Ha Ha

It’s hard to compare Titty Bar Ha Ha to any other show at the Festival because, well, there’s nothing like it. It’s a specifically themed musical comedy play with audience interaction – not exactly something you see all over the program. Set in 1943, in wartime England, in a secret speakeasy underground bar where soldiers are kept, ahem, entertained, Hope and Gloria take the glamour and mystery out of old-timey burlesque performances – and add the raunchiness and hilarity back in. If the title has left you expecting some kind of standup gig set in a strip club (because, reasons) be warned – these ladies will knock your socks off with a well designed and developed show that has surprising complexity, yet is still totally accessible.

Hope and Gloria are hilarious characters in and of themselves, each with their own thrilling back story (no spoilers). They keep up a cracking pace for the entire 60-odd minutes of the show, through fantastic original songs, dance numbers, audience bits and salacious gags that kept the audience totally engaged. The best part about it is, none of the jokes are predictable; it ranges from the vaguely enticing to the totally ridiculous (I’ve never seen another comic get so much out of a kazoo). You’ll be left in love with these unique characters, and wondering what happens next. What’s more, they clearly adore their audience right back – as Hope and Gloria would say, they’re “fucking vintage, darlings!”.

Titty Bar Ha Ha is the most fun, original show I’ve seen at the Comedy Festival. I’ve still got some of the lyrics stuck in my head – and they’re not the kind of words you’d want to be overheard singing under your breath on the tram! If you like a little your comedy a little bit weird and a lot naughty, with great production value thrown in, you’ll love Titty Bar Ha Ha.

Titty Bar Ha Ha is on every night of the Festival except Mondays, at Tony Starr’s Kitten Club.