SCHLONG SONG

A review by Tanya Howard

Sometimes it just takes the title of a show to catch your eye and I don’t think anyone could say that Schlong Song doesn’t make you stop and pay attention. The show is described as “stand-up storytelling, hip-hop heroics, and emotional nudity collide in Woody Shticks’ smash-hit sensation of sexual misadventure”.

I was surprised to find the show not only side splittingly hilarious but it made me stop and think when Woody would suddenly switch out of the comedic stance for a more stoic moment where he would discuss the darker side of fighting for acceptance and the discrimination that can be thrown at a gay man.

Woody bursts onto the stage in a pair of skimpy Daisy Duke shorts and a crop top with Hard Rock Swim Team written across it. He tells the audience of his life growing up as a gay man and on gay life in general, with a number of outfit changes to line up with the stories. The opening outfit was his choice whilst he told us about his invention of pool naps and believe me, we’re not talking about a little nap on a pool float.

Woody Shticks doesn’t hold back, both narratively and physically, as he not only takes us on an intimate journey down memory lane but all outfit changes are done live on stage so there are points of full-frontal nudity. For a show that is so out there and could scare some people off Woody was really good at interacting with the audience and keeping them interested in his stories and performance.

Woody was told he was “too gay to book anything but children’s theatre” and whilst this was the case for a little while I’m glad he has stepped out on his own and I’m interested to see his journey beyond Schlong Song at King’s Head Theatre. We spent so much of the show in absolute hysterics, felt things that weren’t expected and completely invested ourselves in Woody’s life.

An open and honest comedian, Woody not only made a connection with the audience on stage he also invited everyone to hang around after the show to catch up with him at the bar and we actually saw him mingling after the show.

Photo: Cyn Boldly Photography