WHICH PART OF THE BODY WOULD YOU EAT FIRST?

By Natasha U’Ren-Ashdown | @tasha.ua ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Press Invite

WHICH PART OF THE BODY WOULD YOU EAT FIRST?  Before What If They Ate The Baby, I don’t think many people would think to group the words: Queer, Clowns, Cannibalism, 1950s, and Housewife together, but writers and actresses Xhloe Rice and Natasha Roland did, and wow, it works!

The story starts with Shirley (Natasha), in clown makeup and a bright yellow dress covered in green paint, scrubbing the floor in frustration. As she cleans, you notice hands creeping out from under the table clinging to her. Just as you start to question what’s going on, a masked female clown in a pink and green paint-stained dress reveals herself. This is followed by strobe lights, old romantic music, synchronised dancing and sudden intimacy. You can feel the whole audience is mesmerised and hooked. The room goes dark, then the lights come back up to reveal Shirley, once again cleaning… alone. Are you intrigued and as confused as I was?

A knock on the door introduces neighbour Dottie (Xhloe). Instantly you recognise her as the masked clown by her pink and paint-stained dress. 1950s pleasantries are exchanged over a returned Tupperware and husbands working in the office, all delivered with exaggerated arm flicks, dramatic tone and backbends that are hilariously over the top.

What follows is a dance between wanting and resisting spending time together. Shirley and Dottie circle this while strange noises echo from upstairs and talk of a missing neighbour creeps in. Without the title of the play, you know not all is as it seems. As tension builds between them, suddenly you’re thrown into a surreal mix of the familiar and frantic strobes, rap and pop music, matched choreography and queer fantasy between the two. These dystopian episodes interrupt the narrative, which rewinds and replays scenes, as if nothing has happened, with subtle shifts each time. It’s chaotic, clever, and strangely hypnotic.

Xhloe and Natasha pour heart, humour, and passion into every second. It is delightfully absurd, hilarious, and utterly original – a true masterpiece. For such a wild story, full of mystery and suspense, it’s surprisingly easy to follow and will leave you still asking the all-important question: What if they ate the baby?

Content warnings: Strobe lighting, cannibalism, infanticide and sex.

What If They Ate The Baby is running at Soho Theatre until Saturday 29 March.

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Photo Credit: Morgan Mcdowell