Fur Coat & Magic Knickers

The Stanegate Magazine – May 2009

Newbrough Town Hall

The Town Hall is darkened and the audience is quiet as Fiona Knowles takes to the stage and picks up what most women in the audience have probably had to pour themselves into at some point - a pair of magic knickers ! And this is the start point for her one woman show - Fur Coat and Magic Knickers - that had all of us in great guffaws of laughter and occasionally silent knowing tears.

She took us on a shopping trip seen through the eyes of three women - a woman looking for an outfit for her daughters wedding, the personal shopper assigned to help her and a sweet old granny with a bit of a criminal shopping habit...

Her performance was mesmeric - although we knew she was the same actress for each part she convinced us entirely that they were each different, unique, and believable. This seemed to come from the truth that each of us could believe in the back story of each character - truths about modern life and its complexities. Broken relationships and their fallout, debt problems and the credit card culture - love, self esteem and the value we put on people and things.

The simple set with atmospheric lighting and sound just further enhanced her performance and we genuinely felt for each character as they were portrayed.
JG