The Vagina Monologues
Eve Ensler’s smash hit show not only gives its performers the opportunity to celebrate their womanhood but also the chance to redefine themselves in the eyes of their public, with numerous theatre virgins including pop stars, comedians and even models occupying the now iconic stools.
It is an obvious vehicle, then, for Natalie Cassidy, who having recently left EastEnders after 12 years, is attempting to distance herself from Sonia Jackson.
Her first time on stage since she was eight years old, she gives a solid if unremarkable performance. Instantly likeable and in possession of natural comic timing, she starts off well enough with Hair, the witty monologue about a indignant woman who is made to shave her vagina by her husband.
Furthermore, she clearly enjoyed leading the audience in the infamous cunt chant. However, she does not yet possess the maturity to completely pull off the Bosnian rape piece.
Rhona Cameron, meanwhile, excels at Workshop, a hilarious account of a clitoris awareness session and gives a touching performance of Koochie, which chronicles a young girl’s sexual awakening.
The undoubted star, though, is Sue Holderness, who, as well as playing the role of Marlene in Only Fools And Horses, has wealth of theatre experience, which clearly shows here. Her rendition of Flood, the story of a woman whose sex life died before it even began, drips with pathos and bittersweet humour, while her performance of Moans, an illustrated guide to climatic noises brought the house down.
Even though Holderness is in a class of her own, the trio work well as an ensemble, their easy rapport with each other and the audience making it an uplifting and very enjoyable show.
Production information
- Management:
- Mark Goucher
- Cast:
- contact venue
- Website:
- www.vaginamonologues.co.uk
Production information can change over the run of the show.
Run sheet
- Hippodrome Birmingham
- January 31-February 4 2006
- His Majesty's Aberdeen
- February 10-11 2006
- Concert Hall Perth
- March 1 2006
- Repertory Dundee
- April 4- 8 2006
- Gateway Chester
- May 8-13 2006
- New Cardiff
- May 15-20 2006
- Millennium Forum Derry
- June 20-24 2006
- Churchill Bromley
- July 17-22 2006
- Richmond Theatre Richmond-upon-Thames
- July 31-August 5 2006
- Royal Concert Hall Nottingham
- August 29-September 2 2006
- Castle Wellingborough
- September 7 2006
- Victoria Hall Stoke-On-Trent
- September 8 2006
- City Hall Salisbury
- September 9 2006
- Broadway Peterborough
- September 12 2006
- Playhouse Epsom
- September 13 2006
- Hazlitt Maidstone
- September 14 2006
- Oasis Leisure Centre Swindon
- September 15 2006
- Town Hall Loughborough
- September 16 2006
- Middlesbrough Theatre Middlesbrough
- September 18 2006
- Corn Exchange Cambridge
- September 19 2006
- Mill Arts Centre Banbury
- September 20 2006
- Ashcroft Croydon
- September 21 2006
- City Varieties Leeds
- September 22 2006
- Theatre Royal Wakefield
- September 23 2006
- Opera House Buxton
- September 25 2006
- Theatre Royal Lincoln
- September 26-27 2006
- Regent Ipswich
- September 28 2006
- Hawth Crawley
- September 29 2006
- Merlin Frome
- September 30 2006
- Dorking Halls Dorking
- October 2 2006
- Hexagon Reading
- October 3 2006
- Oakengates, The Place Telford
- October 5 2006
- Radlett Centre Radlett
- October 6- 7 2006
- Palace Manchester
- October 9-11 2006
- Civic Chelmsford
- October 12 2006
- Anvil Basingstoke
- October 13 2006
- Charter Preston
- October 14 2006
- Pavilion Weymouth
- October 16 2006
- Medina Newport, Isle of Wight
- October 17 2006
- Princess Torquay
- October 18 2006
- Corn Exchange Newbury
- October 19 2006
- Playhouse Harlow
- October 20 2006
- De Montfort Hall Leicester
- October 23 2006
- Swan Worcester
- October 25 2006
- Marlowe Canterbury
- October 26 2006
- Theatre Royal Winchester
- October 27 2006
- Gordon Craig Stevenage
- October 28 2006
- Milton Keynes Theatre Milton Keynes
- October 30-November 4 2006
- Grand Opera House York
- November 6 2006
- Broadway London
- November 7 2006
- Forum Billingham
- November 8 2006
- Riverfront Newport
- November 10 2006
- Pyramid and Parr Hall Warrington
- November 11 2006
- Assembly Hall Tunbridge Wells
- November 17-18 2006
- Lighthouse Poole
- November 21 2006
- Alexandra Birmingham
- November 22 2006
- Grand Blackpool
- November 27-29 2006
- Empire Sunderland
- November 30-December 1 2006
- Theatre Royal Plymouth
- December 3- 4 2006
- Venue Cymru Llandudno
- December 7 2006
- Playhouse Norwich
- December 14-15 2006
- Assembly Hall Worthing
- December 16 2006
- Theatre Royal Newcastle-upon-Tyne
- January 29-February 3 2007
- New Hull
- February 5-10, 5-10 2007
- Theatre Royal Lincoln
- February 12-17 2007
- Festival Edinburgh
- February 20-24 2007
- Millfield Arts Centre London
- February 20-21 2007
- Royal Court Liverpool
- February 21 2007
- Plaza Stockport
- February 22 2007
- Arena Wolverhampton
- March 8 2007
- Palace Southend-on-Sea
- March 12-17 2007
- Repertory Dundee
- March 13-17 2007
- Wales Millennium Centre, Donald Gordon Cardiff
- March 19-24 2007
- Concert Hall Perth
- April 20-21 2007
- Mayflower Southampton
- May 14-19 2007
- Lyceum Sheffield
- June 11-16 2007
- Theatre Royal Windsor
- July 9-14 2007
- Camberley Theatre Camberley
- September 12 2007
- Hippodrome Bristol
- September 13 2007
- Swan High Wycombe
- September 20 2007
- Theatre Royal Plymouth
- September 22 2007
- Theatre Royal Brighton
- September 24-29 2007
- Civic Darlington
- September 26 2007
- Ashcroft Croydon
- September 27 2007
- Capitol Horsham
- September 29 2007
- Riverfront Newport
- October 2 2007
- Marlowe Canterbury
- October 9 2007
- Playhouse Epsom
- October 10 2007
- Broadway London
- October 11 2007
- Millfield Arts Centre London
- October 15 2007
- Harlequin Redhill
- October 16 2007
- Beck Hayes
- October 17 2007
- Belgrade Coventry
- October 22 2007
- Alban Arena St Albans
- October 25 2007
- New Hull
- October 27 2007
- Playhouse Norwich
- October 29-30 2007
- Theatre Royal Wakefield
- November 2 2007
- New Wimbledon London
- November 4 2007
- Lighthouse Poole
- November 7 2007
- Plaza Stockport
- November 10 2007
- Orchard Dartford
- November 26 2007
- De Montfort Hall Leicester
- November 27 2007
- Middlesbrough Theatre Middlesbrough
- November 28 2007
- Royal Concert Hall Nottingham
- January 14-18
- Arts Centre East Kilbride
- February 8- 9
- New Victoria Woking
- February 25-March 1
- Hall for Cornwall Truro
- July 14-19
- Theatre Royal Glasgow
- August 25-30
- Millfield Arts Centre London
- September 30
- Music Hall Shrewsbury
- October 4
- Garrick Lichfield
- October 6
- Grand Wolverhampton
- October 13-18
- Lighthouse Poole
- October 18
- Grove Dunstable
- October 23
- Hexagon Reading
- October 25
- Civic Chelmsford
- October 28
- Camberley Theatre Camberley
- October 30
- Pyramid and Parr Hall Warrington
- October 31
- Theatre Royal Wakefield
- November 1
- Playhouse Epsom
- November 3
- Oakengates, The Place Telford
- November 6
- Capitol Horsham
- November 8
- Anvil Basingstoke
- November 11
- Orchard Dartford
- November 12
- Belgrade Coventry
- January 26-31 2009
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