I Got Dressed in Front of My Nephew Today

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Claire Stone, one half of performance duo Feral Foxy Ladies, was just 11 years old when she first learned that her body was a weapon – a tool with which to manipulate others. More than a decade later, she and fellow theatre-maker Katherine Vince are beginning to interrogate what that means.

The title of their show is a reference to Stone’s young nephew, whose curious questions about her beauty regime had her asking herself what – and who – it’s all for. Told from Stone’s perspective yet performed by Vince, the piece is a satirical look at demands for feminine perfection, skewering everything from hair removal to the absurdity of make-up colours (seriously, what the fuck is “deeply beige”?)

They’re all good gags at first. But then the same ground is covered again. And again. Stone and Vince never move the conversation forward, instead remaining fixated on a fairly shallow interrogation of body image. It’s all content that’s addressed more effectively and with greater scope by the likes of Sh!t Theatre’s Women’s Hour, forming just the smallest corner of 21st-century feminism. And smeared, clown-like make-up is only funny so many times. 

The show also begs the question of how far it’s perpetuating rather than challenging the beauty culture it targets. Vince is still very much in control of her body, still presenting us with a certain ideal of feminine beauty. She and Stone might make us laugh at and question that ideal, but they never really smash it.