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The Nasty Girls get better and better! Or should I say nastier and nastier! At this year`s DaDaFest, they joined with other Deaf and disabled women to stage a Nasty Night Out. And what a night! They all entertained a packed house in Liverpool for almost 2 hours with hilarious sketches and jokes about being a Deaf or disabled woman. The pace was fast and furious, and if, on occasions, everyone on the stage seemed to be laughing for no reason, so what! We all joined in, including the British Sign Language interpreter.
It was good to see the original Nasty Girls with more new material of even higher standard than before. But also good to see other women taking part for the first time and with talent that should be developed further. Through writing and performing sketches for a show like this, Deaf and disabled women demonstrate that they are in a position of power. They get their message across in a non-confrontational way, with a seriousness behind all the jokes.
If the show comes your way – see it! And encourage colleagues and students to see it too! It might transform your lives!
Reviewer: Dr Joyce Carter
Reviews of Time Troupers
Reviews of Molotov Criptales
Space, Bootle, January 2006. DAIL Magazine. Review by Pam Thomas
Nasty Girls multi-task in a way that only a bunch of Disabled/deaf women can.
They can laugh together at their experiences and scorn a disabling world that places them in a seies of unwelcome predicaments.
None of what Nasty Girls do is for a cheap laugh. it all has a point and is cleverly thought out and performed.
That art can convey a political message far more effectively than any boring old speech or training session, is the very essence of
Nasty Girls comedy.
Review of Time Troupers at the Contact Theatre, Manchester. November 2004, Coalition Magazine. Review by E.J. Frank
Daring, different and daft - fans of The Fast Show and Little Britain, this show is for you!
Without giving too much away, the basis
for
the show is a trip in an accessible toilet which turns into a "time travelling Re-Tardis" allowing our three heroines glimpses of
disabilis-tory through the ages. Cue a series of
outrageous sketches, satire and good old fashioned slapstick.
On our journey we meet Charles Dickens charladies, 60's Scouse band "The Butties", The Intergalactic Association of Mutants and a
middle earth overlord
looking for accessible accommodation in North Wales....to name but a few.
As well as the on stage action, the show also features film clips and music.
A totally unique experience which not only takes a swipe at disability issues, but also tackles other controversial subjects such as racism,
consumerism and euthanasia.
It really does have to be seen to be believed. Back to top of page
Review of Time Troupers at Kickstart2, Roundhouse Theatre Vancouver BC by Mary E. Glasgow, The Peak. Issue4. Vol 118. Sept 2004
Take three women, a bit of cynicism, and a lot of humour. Put them onstage and you've got The Nasty Girls. Liz Carr, Anne Cunnigham, and Natatlie Markham, a trio from Britain, came together as "frustrated, bitter, and cynical disabled/deaf women," ready to "take the piss out of anything that annoyed them." On September 18, The Nasty Girls did just that, in their second performance of Time Troopers for the Society for Disability Arts and Culture's KickstArt2 festival at the Roundhouse Community Centre, Vancouver BC.
On a simple trip to the loo, three friends and co-performers get stuck in what is not actually the supposed bathroom, but a time machine. The rest of the show incorporates short film clips and live theatre, following the protagonists through the ages as they rustle up trouble wherever they go. From re-working Charles Dickens' portrayal of poor, little, crippled Tiny Tim, to slapping on classic Beatles' wigs and singing "Baby, you can hold my prosthetic hand," these women gave The Three Stooges a real run for their money.
With quick, Brit wit (in both audible and signed English), they kept the audience laughing with each line and every dance move they made. They also managed to bring up frustrations, such as a lack of wheelchair accessibility, in an approachable but to-the-point fashion. Humour can be a valuable access route in bringing up unaddressed or touchy subjects, and these comedians do it in a very talented (not to mention funny) manner. They took stereotypes and gave them a quirky twist that made people laugh, allowing them to see just how twisted our expectations of others can be.
As comical as the script was, it was still obvious that many jokes flew under the audience's humour radar (or at least under my own) in terms of pokes at the British social system and politics. Even with a decent exposure to my Scottish grandfather's British jokes, and plenty of Mr. Bean episodes, there were still several punchlines that just didn't quite make it across the Atlantic. The majority of The Nasty Girls' comedy, however, did get past the mental detectors.
Back to top of pageIn their travels through time, The Nasty Girls pointed out that as people (who just happen to have disabilities) they have something to say. They're going to say it, and people are going to laugh, and people are going to listen. Unfortunately, The Nasty Girls are not performing again in Vancouver anytime soon, but for more information on what the group that brought them to town is up to you can check out their web site.
Copyright - The Peak Publications Society, 1994-2004
The Arberyy Profile, November 2004
Their wicked sense of humour, combined with a sharp take on life from a disabled point of view creates a refreshingly different form of comedy. And it's nasty. deliciously nasty.
ThreeWeeks - www.threeweeks.co.uk, August 2003
A hit back against anti-disabled prejudice, these three women, each of whom is not fully able bodied, create a sketch show that will have you laughing and thinking deeply. Punnery on TV show titles (I'm a Cripple, Get Me Out of Care; Dislocation Dislocation Dislocation), a deaf family sending their fully hearing children to a Profoundly Hearing Unit and Rover Scargill calling out the nation's guide dogs on strike, skilfully made the point that if you are not able bodied it is not a tragedy or something to be ashamed of. A refreshing break from the Fringe norm that will appeal to everyone, orange badge carrier or not.
Disability Arts in London Magazine, November 2003
'Vicious, cynical, irreverent, these girls are a breath of fresh air � they leave no stone unturned in their search for topics to poke at and pretensions to puncture and they pull it off with professionalism and a biting wit.'
Disability Now, November 2003
Disreputable and very, very funny.
Big Issue in the North, November 2003
Nasty Girls do not promise to rectify Britain's sorry political stasis. .but when it comes to cutting edge comedy these Merseyside residents hit as hard as anyone. Their latest show cmobines regular hits to the funny bone with comparable jolts to the conscience. These stereotype wreckers should be applauded for tackling taboos head-on but they should be applauded just as loudly for their biting, satirical humour.
Coalition Magazine
'They are hilarious It is difficult to define what the Nasty girl humour is all about but I am certain some of the main ingredients are dressing up, showing off, and simply making each other laugh . I loved it. I loved it. I loved it!'
Anonymous Audience Member
'That was disgusting. This has been the worst night of my life!'
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