Review for this weekend's shows

From Here to Maternity and The Attack of the 40 Foot Wedge
The Butterfly Club 19 March 2009
Reviewer: David Allen

This week sees the invasion of The Butterfly Club in South Melbourne by a horde of theatrical women, voices at the ready, biting senses of humour and stories galore.

Well, two theatrical women, but a very theatrical pair! Covering everything from the perils of motherhood to the search for yourself – preferably not someone else's – the two new shows take us on a perilous and exciting journey full of hope, joy and hilarity.

Lizzie Matjacic opens the evening with the story of her journey From Here to Maternity. From finding out about her impending motherhood to the ongoing battle of living with a third person in the house, Lizzie blends story and song to really get across what it's like to be a new mother. Lizzie's voice is beautiful and powerful, showing a classical style that supports the familiar musical theatre tunes well. Songs from musicals such as Working (Just a Housewife) and I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change (The Baby Song) fit neatly into the stories of changing nappies and regular feedings that are the bane of every young mother's existence.

Lizzie's strength is her experience, and by sharing the tales that have made her both laugh and cry, she opens up to her audience in a powerful and endearing way. While being realistic about the trials and tribulations, it's clear that she loves being a parent, a feeling that's quite catchy – even to the point of making this 21-year-old male reviewer just a little clucky!

The evening continues with The Attack of the 40 Foot Wedge, a hilarious retelling by Nikki Aitken of her escape from Adelaide and nearly impromptu journey to Europe.

Seeking a husband, a hit broadway show and a house of her own, Nikki finds that two out of three ain't bad - but one out of three is terrible. Nikki is a born comedian, with the ability to send up the people who she has met on her travels to great effect. Her experience of attempting to organise a passport in the middle of Greece, in particular, is a hilarious send-up of culture shock that left audience members in fits of laughter.

Musically, the show stands out from the crowd, as the vast majority of the music has been written by Nikki purely for the show. Mixed into a couple of familiar songs (John Mayer's My Stupid Mouth and Nellie McKay's I Wanna Get Married , to name but two), the original music gives the show a personal flavour not often seen in performance.

Special mention must be made of the title song, 40 Foot Wedge, a hilarious dream sequence reminiscent of those made famous by Fiddler On The Roof. Between the two of them, Nikki and Lizzie have created two fantastic insights into what it's like to be a woman in modern society. Funny, serious and just a little crazy, these two highly talented women give us a night to remember.