Cassandra Barbitoll Provides the Razzle-Dazzle!

Walking into the tent I had no idea what to expect- in fact, I’d elected to go to this particular show based on the name- Cassandra Barbitoll sounded like she had a lot to offer.

I was thankfully quite right. This riotous one-woman show does not disappoint.

Lasting about 50 minutes, this show tells the life story of the eponymous Cassandra Barbitoll. Sophie Joske’s performance is a masterclass in character. She flits seamlessly from child actor to perverted old man. A skill not many can boast of.

Our central character Sandy is fascinating enough to carry the show on her own- however, the other personas are the icing on the cake. We follow Sandy from her days as a child actor, through her ‘manic episodes’, and to her eventual career as a provincial stage actor.

At its heart, this light and comical production is about how showbiz treats women, in particular older women. This theme is delivered rather heavy-handedly at points, where the delightful subtlety of the rest of the show falls short.

However for the most part Cassandra Barbitoll delivered its message with aplomb, and provided quite a few laughs with it.