The return of the one man show

On a cold Saturday night a few weeks ago I found myself at the Malva Store at Main Street Life on Fox Street. There I was, sipping a cappuccino from the Cupcake Factory, browsing the boutique and swapping 50 bucks for the chance to catch a one-man-show called Mouche. How I came to be there, I’m not entirely sure but I’m so glad I was.

It’s not often you find yourself in the heart of Jozi, breathing in culture in the middle of a quirky little store showcasing everything from baked goods and chandeliers, to half naked mannequins, feather head pieces and a small black stage bathed in spotlight. Based on Paul Gallico’s nolvella Loved by Seven Dolls, and portrayed by Tim Redpath, Mouche tells the tale of a French puppeteer and the former stripper who cracks his cold heart after winning the affection of his troupe of puppets, including a sexy French fox and charming little ginja ninja named Carrot. Wearing just jeans and a vest Redpath is able to transform himself into a whole host of characters by tuning his accent, posture and expressions. And through the interaction of these characters with the invisible girl, another star is born – a vulnerable and loveable woman named Mouche (the fact that she exists only in your mind is irrelevant and testament to the Redpath’s multitasking).

It was all I needed to be reminded of the mind-blowing talent and balls some people have. Another South African with balls, figurative ones anyway is Gigi, winner of Survivor South Africa: Santa Carolina and co-owner of the Lollipop lounge, who is back in her one woman play Nipple Caps and G Strings. Feeling brazen after my town experience, I ventured to the Victory Theatre on Louis Botha to catch her in all her glory, not quite knowing what to expect.

I never watched a full episode the celebrity Survivor and had only a vague mental image of Gigi as a blonde hussy who used her womanly charms to win over men and contestants alike. And while I wasn’t entirely wrong, I wasn’t entirely right either.

Gigi is the Queen of the Strip but she’s also a rather crafty individual with a Bachelor of Drama and training in ballet, mime and piano. Her charm lies not only in her smoking hot body (and I say this in a purely heterosexual way) and gold stripper heels, but also in her throaty laugh, disarming Afrikaans lilt and her ability to laugh at herself, even when wearing nothing but said heels and a microphone.

While the play doesn’t quite live up to it’s tag line of “Everything you wanted to know about love, marriage and strip but were afraid to ask”, it is adult edutainment at its most hilarious and honest. If Gigi can persuade her former nemesis Ashley Hayden to get on stage and give her man a lap dance then it’s only a matter of time until she wins you over. The show is on until August 14 and tickets start at R90 from Computicket.

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