In the setting Brazilian favelas, Gilda tells an enraptured audience of the hardships in her life: how the local women hate her for her relationships with their menfolk and of how she dreams of being “a movie star in a long red dress”. Full of warm humour, this is a thoroughly engaging one-woman show. French-Brazilian actress Gael Le Cornec gives an excellent performance: her Gilda easily rivals Rita Hayworth’s in terms of sexiness and sultriness. It’s very cleverly staged as well, with the towels that adorn Gilda’s home being used to represent all manner of things, from live chickens to cake mix, made possible again by Le Cornec’s performance. A very accomplished piece of theatre.

New Town Theatre, 4 – 28 Aug (not 9, 16, 23), 2.50pm (3.50pm), £8.00 – £11.00, fpp274.
tw rating 4/5
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