Regina Vagina
★★★★★ Smash
PBH’s Free Fringe @ CC Blooms (Venue 171): Sat 17 – Sun 25 Aug 2024
Review by Rebecca Mahar
Hosted by William “Shakey” Shakespeare Regina Vagina, a new historical comedy musical from Erstwhile Media, takes a satirical romp through the life of Elizabeth I, famously known as the Virgin Queen, and asks the all-important questions: But did she?
Described by Erstwhile as “adult Horrible Histories meets Blackadder meets Rocky Horror,” Regina Vagina delivers on its promises, packed with over-the-top renditions of historical characters, parodies of well-known modern songs, and enough innuendo and explicit bawdiness to thoroughly earn its 18+ guideline. Nobody gets their bits out, but there’s plenty else to keep you entertained.
Euan Huth, Beth Eltringham, Katie Laird and Stephen Park. Pic: Erstwhile Media.
We follow Queen Elizabeth (Beth Eltringham) through a whistle-stop tour of her life, and her repeated rejections of various men, in particular Philip of Spain (Euan Huth), her former brother-in-law. Huth also shows up as the most probable (depending on who you ask) of Elizabeth I’s love interests, Robert Dudley. Katie Laird appeares as Sir Walter Raleigh and François, Duke of Anjou— as well as Mary, Queen of Scots, though the show doesn’t go quite so far as to suggest she was one of Elizabeth’s love interests.
The ensemble put in monumentally committed performances throughout the episodic show, all of which is tied together by Stephen Park’s gloriously camp Shakespeare. Though the show purports to be all about whether or not Queen Elizabeth fucks, it uses that pretence to call out the ridiculous ways in which her history is often approached: as a marriage pawn, as a sexual (or asexual) object, defined by the men around her.
As it does this it gives the Queen her story back, with Elizabeth delivering her own raucous numbers about her agency, power, and success.
serious turn
Late in the game, Regina Vagina takes a serious turn, addressing the likely abuse that Elizabeth suffered at the hands of Thomas Seymour, told through the voice of her governess, Kat Ashley (Katie Laird). This is the one element of her life not treated humorously, but writers Beth Eltringham and Oliver Giggins have managed to integrate it seamlessly and respectfully into the satire.
Eltringham and Giggins also co-direct the show, with choreography, costumes, and props from Eltringham, and Giggins on Tech. A true testament to a small team coming together to make something mighty, Erstwhile Media have knocked it out of the park with Regina Vagina: something for everyone (of a certain age): history, comedy, songs and an inflatable!
Is she a virgin? Is she a man? Is she cake? You’ll have to run to Regina Vagina to find out. Go Queen Lizzie! Shakespeare would’ve loved this shit.
Running time: One hour (no interval)
PBH’s Free fringe @ CC Blooms, 23-24 Greenside Place, EH1 3AA (Venue 171)
Saturday 17 – Sunday 25 August 2024
Daily: 1.45 pm
Details and tickets at: Book here
Facebook: @Regina Vagina
Instagram: @regina.vaginafringe
TikTok: @regina.vagina5
ENDS
