Maia Kahn
Everyone knows the story of Eva Perón, thanks in large part to Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s 1978 musical Evita. But Argentinian politician Juan Perón’s third wife, Isabel, has been largely forgotten – despite being the first-ever female president in the history of the world. Rebecca Biscuit and Louise Mothersole’s EVITA TOO (as in Evita is also there) combines clown, cabaret, documentary, brilliantly bizarro costumes and puppets in a thrilling quest to give Isabel her flowers.
Now playing the Fringe after a London run at Southbank Centre late last year, the show, which marks 15 years of the pair working together, centres around the question “What does a woman have to do to be remembered?”, as a leader, an artist, a person. It’s a clever marriage of Sh!t’s story with Perón’s. And Perón’s story is truly wild: Juan discovered her when she was a go-go dancer at a club called Happyland; at one point Evita’s embalmed body remained in her and her husband’s home; a man known as “El Brujo” (“The Wizard”) was one of her political counsels.
Under Ursula Martinez’s direction, EVITA TOO gallops apace. From nude roller skating to slideshow-based jokes, each tableau is memorable and packs its own punch within the arc of the production.The performers are virtuosically in tune with each other whether speaking or singing, and likewise the songs are so woven into the script that all the writing is elevated in musical unity. And I won’t spoil it, but the last section contains some riotous, ingenious bits of reporting that bring it all home even more.
The theme of grief is also present here, with Biscuit having lost a partner and Mothersole reflecting on the loss of her father. This parallel to the Perón’s saga could have been explored more. But in such a densely entertaining, intriguing hour, naturally not every point brought up can come to absolute fruition. EVITA TOO leaves the audience with a fascinating chunk of trivia and an ignited drive to pay equally fervent homage to the people who inspire us.
Recommended drink: Canned mojito over ice.
Catch EVITA TOO at Zoo Southside at 18:25 (75 minutes) through 30 August. Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.
Freddie Haberfellner
Hannah Hamilton
