Lashings of Whipped Cream 11 February 2014 The Basement Studio Starring Rhubarb Rouge An Auckland Pride Festival event It may have been a one wo-man show but Rhubarb Rouge, by herself, almost has too much personality to fit on one stage. Lashings of Whipped Cream, like its star, is outrageous! Written by New Zealand’s Fiona Samuel, Lashings of Whipped Cream is a wonderfully penned play where a ‘teen’ dominatrix spills all to a captive audience. Lines are blurred between whether you are an audience member or a client, as Rouge (the alter ego of performance artist Ricky Beirao) plays with the spectators. Those aren’t the only lines blurred of course, as you have a man playing a drag queen playing a dominatrix pretending to be a teenager. But it’s not confusing. It’s actually rather educational. Did you know a dominatrix would charge about $225 for a golden shower? Facts like these are revealed in the naughty play, which is set in a dominatrix’s dungeon complete with bondage devices dangling from the roof. It’s quite intimidating to walk into, however when Rouge struts on to the stage in leather knee-highs and a PVC corset, it’s all fun. She’s like a fuller-figured Brazilian Frankenfurter as she oozes all over the stage and paws with the audience, sharing secrets about things like what it means when balls drop - which is not how it sounds at all. It’s kinky, it’s fun. Take your drink in and steel yourself for a bit of flirtation with the outrageous Rhubarb Rouge. Buy tickets here Jacqui Stanford - 12th February 2014