This deliciously witty and raucous script by Jack Hardcastle (a fictional rake and writer made up so Jon Keevy won't feel too embarrassed about writing filthy, explicit things). Created by Jon Keevy and coaxed by assistant director Joanna Evans, this brainy and inspired two hander sizzles with McCormick and Kerfoot's flirtatious and tantalising verbal tango.
Consisting of a series of playful vignettes that probe sexual nature and confront our inherent coyness for speaking our minds, Dirty Words is an ABC of what to do when it comes to seducing the object of your affection, or how to prevent your thoughts from destroying your reputation.
Kerfoot's reading of a naughty tale of a clerk and a client searching for a new bed will have you in stitches, as will the pick up between two headstrong hunters at a bar, the seductive nature of a poet's words, how to master the art of allurement, and a totally magic duet between two stranger trying their savvy to pick someone up in cyberspace.
The beauty of Dirty Words is that is allows freedom of expression to surface. It sets our imagination free from the moral prison that sometimes takes the fun out of the games we play to spice up our obsessions and devotions. Once you get into the rhythm of Dirty Words you realise that it really makes no sense to be too coy and spoil all the fun, but allow our inherent and instinctive joy for gratification to enjoy a fruitful and fun life. This does not mean that being dirty means being cheap, but poignantly shows how our perceptions of right and wrong need to find a healthy balance in our lives.
If you are looking for a quirky comedy that will dare you to let your hair down and put your sullied thoughts through the wash, Dirty Words definitely guarantees first-rate entertainment where grown-ups can gleefully play in a sandpit of fun and turn fantasies into reality.
Prudish conservatives are warned that the sketch comedy contains all the dirty words and also some near-nudity. Alicia McCormick is the straight-laced alter ego of burlesque sensation Cookie von Tastee. You can usually find Alicia onstage in plays like Dirty Words, An Absolute Turkey and Hitched. If she's not there she's either designing costumes in the wardrobe or baking up a storm.
Kim Kerfoot likes to tell people what to do, so he became a director which he's been doing professionally for a number of years on shows like Statements Made After an Arrest under the Immorality Act (Fleur Du Cap for Best New Director), Closer, and Get Kraken! (Standard Bank Ovation Award at NAF 2013). But he's also fond of turn-about so you can catch him in one of his rare onstage moments.
The intimacy of the Alexander Bar & Café is perfect for a show of this exceptional quality and will definitely sell out before you can list all the dirty words in your vocabulary, so make sure to see it before it ends its short run on 26 April.
Following the food for thought Dirty Words bestows gracefully on you, you can nibble on sandwiches, light meals, cheeseboards and snacks served till midnight, and test your vocabulary and newfound coolness.
Book securely online with a credit card for any show at Alexander Upstairs by going to shows.alexanderbar.co.za. The direct booking page for this particular show is alexanderbar.co.za/show/DirtyWords. You can also purchase tickets in person at the bar anytime during our regular opening hours (Monday to- Saturday, 11am to 1am). For telephone bookings and enquiries: +27 (0)21 300 1652.
