DYKE Systems Ltd at Edinburgh Fringe ★★★★
★★★★ DYKE Systems Ltd | Pleasance Courtyard
Cabaret duo Fag Packet debut at the Fringe as Susan and Sally in this satirical, technicolour swipe at corporate feminism.
Ever get the feeling that you’re being inducted into a cult-slash-pyramid scheme? Well, that’s the infectious vibe here, as Kheski Kobler and Holly Wilson-Guy don the pastel power-suits of 80’s female empowerment to give a dysfunctional seminar on how to become a Dynamic, Young, Knowledgeable Entrepreneur.
This skewering of capitalist jargon and vacuous motivational speaking is thoroughly queered, as a series of sub-sketches successfully coalesce to tell a 60 minute narrative story packed with winking innuendo, barely suppressed sexual energy, high-camp energy and a final, rousing nod to sisterhood via Thelma & Louise.
Kobler & Wilson-Guy show no debut-show nerves – they have confidence in their material, and deliver performances which belie the mid-afternoon time slot. Shifted later to 9pm, this show could’ve been one of the biggest word-of-mouth hits of the Fringe. As it is, it’s a perfect post-lunch pick-me-up.
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