LADY SINGS IT BETTER Gluttony Until 17 Mar 2013 Review by John Wells It all appears to be a bit ho-hum: five women singing blokey songs to show the frequent misogyny of song lyrics. Girl power? Another half-baked Fringe cabaret show stringing some average, over-emoted songs together? Yawn. But these girls are good. Very good. This is why: they can sing. Their voices are strong, subtle, nuanced and perfectly suited to the arrangements. Their band is disciplined and tight. But good tonsils don’t make a great show. There is much more. There is a sense of playful silliness and simple fun, which captivates the audience. The dance moves are clever and stupidly daggy. The banter is funny – yes, actually funny! While this show is seriously good, the performers don’t take themselves too seriously. This lightness is the key to the success of this show. They are relaxed, confident and engage with the crowd. The song choices work brilliantly. Most effective are the Michael Jackson medley, a masterpiece of arrangement, a spooky, unsettling “My Sharona”, a selection of stalking songs (“Every Breath You Take”, “Hello”, “Throw Your Arms Around Me”), some Austrayan classics - a spot of Acca Dacca and the Radiators’ ballad to the blowjob - and Nine Inch Nails’ sweet romantic tune “Closer”. This is quality cabaret: quirky, naughty and a bit sexy. Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)