Reviewed by Talia Carlisle

The talented team behind Femme Natale have worked their butts off to bring a magnificent sketch showcase of parents’ inner adult desires to BATS Theatre.

After returning from Edinburgh Fringe with a new lease on parenthood, their new iteration of Femme Natale is refreshingly hilarious and important to share in a time where parents, and all adults, face more pressures than ever before.

Femme Natale ‘The Queen Years – What happens after happily ever after’ has a dream team of comedic talent, each versatile in portraying sports kid groupies, happily divorced couples, and surprising bodily functions sure to amuse.

Special guest Megan Connolly strings the audience inside with their power period poses, before Fingal Pollock’s facials appear from the shadows, and continue to amuse us throughout the show, worthy of every dynamic theatre award.

I would also award Tracey Savage on production for her performance as a menopausal airline host with the most attitude, emphasised further in beautiful shadow work, with lighting designed by Fingal and technical operator Malcolm Gillett.

Choreographer and performer April Phillips’ lifts our spirits with her contagious dance moves, and hilarious roles in Vulva, the “Breast Test”, and the heartfelt “Getting Back Out There” song. Her entertaining writing skills shine bright with her talented all-writing, all-performing cast.

You can next experience this talented playwright in April’s show Blind Eye opening at Levin Little Theatre in July.

This multi-talented team wouldn’t be complete without Piers Gilbertson on sound design, making us all dance in our seats, but especially me. Piers captures everyone’s attention onstage also in his brilliant portrayal as a vulva’s best friend.

Such a creative team benefits from the technical support and art assistance of Anaton and Lilian Rottpeter who deserve a participation certificate for their creativity.

The result is a well executed, brilliantly delivered and thoroughly amusing evening away from the kids that gets the heart pounding, the hips wiggling, and our applause begging for more.