Stalwarts of the cabaret circuit for three decades, Fascinating Aïda has landed at the Charing Cross Theatre for a welcome return to London following sell out success on tour.
Still filthy after all these years, the ladies sing about sex and relationships including here the classic "The Dogging Song", as well as providing musical social commentary, a critique on modern art, a parody of rap and more, including their sprightly ballad on budget airlines, "Cheap Flights", which is notching up eight million views on YouTube and is making FA something of an internet sensation.
Whether it is an ode to Little Chef, Germans who can't sing or oriental religion, FA delivers with vocal aplomb and a physical dexterity to cause envy amongst many of a similar age. Time and age haven't diminished their writing skills either, which remain scalpel sharp, and how can you fail to like someone who rhymes Justin Bieber with amoeba?
Their creative use of language—deemed too blue for the Beeb—may not be everyone's cup of tea but their lampoon of wealthy business fat cats, "Companies Using Nifty Taxation Systems", should be obligatory listening for government and City regulatory authorities so that they can be left in no doubt what everyone is thinking and what they seem to be doing nothing about. Even funnier is a gospel celebration of the glorious powers of Tesco, which puts a new perspective on loaves and fishes that is worth the price of the ticket alone.
All three ladies, founder Dillie Keane, veteran Adele Anderson and new girl Sarah-Louise Young, are in excellent comic form and in fine voice and when they eschew the piano to sing a faux Bulgarian Song Cycle a capella, it is easy to overlook the vocal achievement as they take a viciously funny poke at Paul McCartney's wives, Cheryl Cole or Jordan's boobs.
Everyone needs a roaringly good laugh from time to time and it doesn’t get much better than this. Those of a delicate disposition should stay at home and those with a weak bladder muscle should take pads because this is very funny stuff indeed.
Fascinating Aïda Cheap Flights runs Monday to Saturday with a Saturday matinee until Saturday 7th January