Melbourne Reviews

On an unseasonably warm winter evening, with the spring blossoms beginning to bloom and the just perceptible sniff of summer in the air, a well dressed brunette slinks into a detectives office where she is met by the charming blonde at the desk.

What happens after that is a plot line with more twists and turns than a Dynasty episode, and as many backstabbing, philandering protagonists along as the way.

Led by Annabel Green and Letitia Kearney from the not-for-profit theatre company Full-Skirted Productions, these decadently funny ladies both co-wrote the piece as well as starring as femme one and two. Both of these dangerous femmes have an uncanny sense of timing as well as a strong knowledge of 1940’s film noir style theatre. Playing homage to great screen actors the likes of Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall and Barbara Stanwyck, Two Femmes and a Fatale is a fabulous romp through the most glamorous of eras.

Walking a fine line between authentic and camp, the play is authentic to the sometimes-ludicrous genre it portrays. With the exception of a few clunky set changes the show was effortlessly smooth like a fine scotch or delicious merlot.

While it took me a while to warm up to Two Femmes and a Fatale, I couldn’t help but be won over by the sassy script and clever comedy of the ensemble cast. The characters were delightful to watch as they took on their roles with a clear sense of who they were and why they were there. Roles were reversed and tables were turned as the story progressed but each character stayed true to their 1940’s counterpart.

Mathew Gelsumini was perfect as the double-crossing, two-timing sleezeball of a detective, and I have to admit his Chicago accent was spot on. However like all Hollywood leading men, his womananizing ways were to be his downfall and how I did love to watch him squirm.

While the play may be titled Two Femmes and a Fatale, there was no doubt that in the end, it was all about Letitia. The frothy blonde bombshell stole the show with her cake-eating, eyelash fluttering antics. The physical comedy employed by this young actress was extraordinary to watch, almost heading into vaudevillian territory.

Accompanied by the gorgeous Trevor Jones on piano, his background score provided just the right ambience to get you in the mood for romance, mystery and perhaps even murder…

A genuinely gorgeous production, Full-Skirted Productions lives up to its mission statement of providing good old-fashioned entertainment, so please, relax with a martini and soak up the hilarity that is Two Femmes and a Fatale.


Full-Skirted Productions presents
Two Femmes and a Fatale

Venue: Chapel off Chapel | 12 Little Chapel St, Prahran
Dates: Thursday 25 August – Sunday 4 September (excluding Mon & Tues)
Times: Wed – Sat 8pm, Sun 6pm
Tickets: $25 – $18
Bookings: www.chapeloffchapel.com.au | 03 8290 7000