Cast

Synopsis

Set in Paris in the 1930s this is the story of Victoria Grant, a singer down on her luck, who is persuaded by a kind but struggling cabaret M.C. to let him present her in his club as Victor, a man performing as a woman! Desperate for work she agrees and soon becomes the toast of the Paris nightclub circuit. Hilarious antics ensue as jealous Parisian club owners attempt to unmask the new star and the Chicago underworld try to trap her boyfriend in a compromising relationship. What confusion. What fun.

Directors Notes

A man impersonating a woman on stage? Piece of cake!! But a woman whose livelihood depends on pretending to be a man who pretends to be a woman? Now you’ve got problems! You’ve also got an abundance of laughs when Samantha Ball plays Victor and Victoria in this clever musical delight that recounts the tale of a down-and-out singer in France (Ball) who masquerades as Victor, a male female impersonator, much to the delight of her gay mentor (Peter Hall) who devises the gender-bender stage act. Farcically complicating
matters are an American mobster admirer (Tim Lobley) suspecting Victor is really a Victoria, his short-fused moll (Anna Yeadon) and his bodyguard (Kareem Swiss) who is not all he seems!! I would describe the play as a stylish, sophisticated, hilarious comedy that was based on a 1933 German film Viktor und Viktoria which was remade in 1936 as First a Girl with Jessie Matthews. The production features show stopping musical numbers, backed by a 7 piece band, stunning choreography and side-splitting laughter from start to finish. As with any farce, be it musical or otherwise, the comedy is in the timing of the artistes. The company has some of the finest, most experienced principals in the area so entertainment is assured! Don’t miss it – an ideal summer night’s laughter and a perfect way to round off the season!