Frisky and Mannish

• Suzanne Black
• 16 August 2009

This article is from 2009.

Simply top of the pops

Attention! Class is in session and pop parodies are on the syllabus. Within the structure of a school day, cabaret duo Laura Corcoran and Matthew Jones slip into their F&M alter egos (and Jones into some physics-defying leather-effect leggings) and present pop covers, reworkings and mash-ups. Kate Bush’s ‘Wuthering Heights’ is mangled by Kate Nash’s estuary vowels, TLC’s ‘No Scrubs’ is given a Renaissance folk twist and Lady Gaga’s robotic moves fail to go down well with Brucie in a Strictly Come Dancing skit. The odds are you’ll know most of the anachronistic pairings and the best bit is when the penny drops.

Sorting hats, audience participation and mock stage one-upmanship aside, the duo’s vocal chops and range, plus Mannish’s piano fondlings, are of such quality that they could perform straight if they wanted, which would be a sad loss of their comic skills. The Leipzig Conservatoire training of their characters may be fictional, but Mannish and Frisky (getting their names wrong will result in the wrath of the Ting Tings) have done their homework, and it shows.

Underbelly, 0844 545 8252, until 30 Aug, 9pm, £6.50–£10.50 (£8–£9.50).