Buddies in Bad Times Theatre – The Scandelles’ Neon Nightz

reviewed by Paula Citron
_____________________________

Neon Nightz
The Scandelles
Written and performed by Sasha Van Bon Bon and Kitty Neptune
Directed by David Oiye
At Buddies in Bad Times Theatre
____________________________

I caught the Scandelles new show Neon Nightz before it closed, and the group continues to push the buttons of nouveau burlesque. Unlike their tongue-in-cheek strip sisters with their specialty acts, the Scandelles take strip-tease into full-evening theatre productions.

Neon Nightz recounts Sasha Van Bon Bon’s experiences in Montreal’s sleazy strip clubs of the 90s. Van Bon Bon does the talking while co-creator choreographer Kitty Neptune does the dancing. The witty monologue presents the zeitgeist of the strip scene – that it was a confessional and place of refuge for its male patrons. Neptune is completely nude, but rather than being merely salacious, her dances illustrate the memorable characters of Van Bon Bon’s stories.

Andy Moro’s set is a marvel, including two 16 ft. brass strip poles and a mirrored gynaecology row, which needs no explanation. Each song of Countess Christsmasher’s brilliant live score is a commentary to the story.

The Scandelles are striptease innovators. They give the art form serious credibility.