If you love a laugh, don’t miss JustLogOff Comedy Club, held at The Pavilion (Far East Square) over three nights each month. Performing in April are London’s musical-comedy-cabaret sensations, Frisky and Mannish. Expat Living spoke to them about their impending Singapore shows, and about their quirky creators, Laura Corcoran and Matthew Jones.

Your act, in a nutshell.
We deconstruct the antitheses and dichotomies of pop music with the purpose of exposing its unique contrapuntalism, while delving into the myriad of references to history, politics, civilisation and philosophy that find their expression in the work of pop academics such as TLC and The Ting Tings. That’s in a nutshell. In layman’s terms, we “tit around” with pop songs.

What was the first song you gave the treatment to?
Madonna was an obvious starting point; we realised that, in recording the 80s anti-abortion classic “Papa Don’t Preach”, she was clearly nodding towards the tragic operas of Verdi and Puccini. At the same time, we also recognised the bluegrass banjo ho-down elements that informed the creation of “Eye of the Tiger”, another important song of the era.

Do Frisky and Mannish have anything in common with Laura Corcoran and Matthew Jones?
Like Frisky, Laura Corcoran is a voluptuous vixen with a voice made for heaven and a body made for sin. Like Mannish, Matthew Jones is an enigmatic, erudite and elfin boy with the keyboard skills of a young Mozart and the dancing prowess of that man in Strictly Ballroom. However, offstage, the dynamics of the pair are quite different. It’s been said that Jones is in fact the excessive “diva”, and that Corcoran is really the brains behind the operation.

Favourite song of all time?
*NSYNC’s “Dirty Pop”, a stunningly audacious manifesto that lays out what it is to be a pop genius. Best lyric: “Why you gotta try to classify the type of thing that we do? Cos we’re just fine doin’ what we like, and we say the same for you.” True dat.

Singapore: got any expectations of the place?  
We’ve heard it’s incredibly clean and chic and urban. Aside from that, we’re travelling there with open minds, hearts and legs. It’s the F&M way. We hope you’re ready for us.

Singapore’s hot. What will you wear?
Well, the cabaret aesthetic isn’t just for the evening – it applies all day long. So unfortunately it’s PVC corsets, skin-tight lycra leggings and an inexplicable amount of glitter for us. We might ask Donatella or Giorgio to design us a pair of cabaret-themed swimsuits if we really start to roast.


What the critics are saying

“Inventive mash-ups delivered with irrepressible style and verve.” – The Mail on Sunday
“If you don’t enjoy Frisky & Mannish, you have no soul.” – Chortle
“Frisky and Mannish effortlessly straddle the high-low culture divide – no mean
feat in sequinned skin-tight jeans.” – The Observer
“Wildly talented.” – The Independent


Frisky and Mannish will perform on 29, 30 April and 1 May at The Pavilion (Far East Square),
#02-01, 28 China Street.

For tickets, visit www.sistic.com.sg or call 6348 5555.

www.justlogoff.com