The Wynter of Our Disco Tent | Funny Mummies
I'm an 80’s kid. Not by birth, I should preface. But as a result of a childhood spent watching Madonna’s The Immaculate Collection on repeat, with a single mum whose social life involved me amongst her and her friends as they drank and reminisced. Now that I’m old enough, with at least some years behind me to do any sort of “looking back” on, I’m starting to understand the necessity of these moments. There’s a particular kind of joy that’s unlocked when two people catch each other’s eye as a song begins to play, with a look that says something like “remember when?”. For sisters Angeline & Jenny Wynter, this nostalgia has been immortalised in teenage diary entries and assembled into the 60 minute self-described “musical comedy romp”, The Wynter of Our Disco Tent (WOODT).
Presented by Funny Mummies as part of the Brisbane Comedy Festival (check out the lineup here), WOODT was the debut of Angeline and Jenny’s musical comedy duo “inspired by the desperate dreams of [their] younger selves”. It was a spiralling homage to their 80s obsession that found its beginnings in Kylie and Dannii Minogue, Dirty Dancing, and a penchant for performing living room concerts. The duo used real-life teenage diary entries to inspire a score of original 80’s pop tunes as lyrically witty as they were melodic. The musical numbers, and the show as a whole, teetered experterly on this line of self-aware cringe. Which, for an audience whose entry was more teens-at-an-80s-concert than stand-up goers, seemed like the perfect fit.
The show started with a technical difficulty, which really set the whole tone. Not because of any further tech issues, but because it was our introduction to the hilarity and “don’t take yourself too seriously” attitude that was to come. It was also my first encounter with the quick-fire repartee of Jenny Wynter. This interaction between performer and audience is always one of my favourite aspects of cabaret, drag, or stand-up; often a refreshing change to the scripted nature of theatre. Jenny’s live improvisation of a song inspired by the love story of an audience member was a particular highlight of this interplay.
I also loved the experience of attending a show that wasn’t really for me. This is said without sarcasm or malice because, despite my appreciation of the 80s, I could never understand the experience of living through it. So, The Wynter of Our Disco Tent felt like a window into a nostalgia that was not my own. I was a witness to the ripples that spread through the crowd as a 90210 reference was made, or the wedding song of Scott & Charlene was mentioned. It’s true that this kind of reminiscing is often done wearing rose coloured glasses. It’s easy for the nylon tracksuits, permed hair, and the sound of synth to baske the 80s in a neon pop glow. But I think that’s part of what makes it so powerful.
For Angeline and Jenny, this was the glow that saw them through the death of their mother when they were children. This story was one they shared at the beginning of the show - a “grief punch” they termed it - as they described how music was their means of coping. Longing to be famous pop stars, their future performing together was championed by a Grandma (“Mum”) who was always their most adoring, and only, audience member. And now, decades later, their dream has been realised (well, they’re still working on the “famous pop star” bit).
I’m looking forward to seeing how more performances will allow them to further relax into the work and to provide an opportunity for strengthening and enhancing, what is already, a fantastic show.
If you can’t get tickets to the Powerhouse season, then make sure you keep your eye out for whatever these ladies do next.
