From the moment of entering the auditorium, I was struck by the tangible delight and energy of the four people tending to the needs of those seated at the tables. I assumed they were under-employed performers volunteering their services for the Brisbane Festival, but no, two were local performers (Adrienne Truscott and Tanya Gagne) engaged to be ‘cousins’ for the night (a lot of family connections in this show – and if you don’t think that’s meant as a double entendre, you’re wrong), and the other two were the Wau Wau Sisters themselves.
‘Did you hear we’re a little bit dirty?’ asks one of the sisters. ‘Well we’re fucking filthy!’
The Last Supper is bawdry of the highest order. The language is refreshing, thrown about with gay (‘it’s not gay if you’re related’) abandon, as are the Wau Wau Sisters’ bodies. The pair are highly skilled entertainers, singer/musicians and acro-balancers; their duo trapeze act almost-finale is especially dazzling.
The show’s conclusion – a ‘last supper’ reenactment – is hilarious, and neatly draws in all the threads that began in the opening sequence, which saw the Wau Wau Sisters as deliciously cheeky schoolgirls acting out their crush on Christ. The climactic closing act also takes in the cross-dressing of certain members of the audience, and results in a wild hootenanny and a hippie love-in. The local girls keep the stage clear of flying knickers while keeping the energy and the love flowing throughout.
If anyone suspects they might be offended by this show, stay away. There are obviously plenty of theatre-goers, Christian and otherwise, who appreciate the obviously affectionate humour with which the Wau Wau Sisters address their subject matter. The show is almost sold out. The rest of the world – get your tickets now!
Rating: 4 ½ stars out of 5
The Wau Wau Sisters’ Last Supper
Judith Wright Centre for Contemporary Arts
September 25 – 29
Brisbane Festival
September 8 – 29
