Genrefuck is a double bill that opened on Wednesday at Buddies in Bad Times.  It consists of two one performer shows; Reina written by Augusto Bitter and performed by Jaime Lujan, and Never Walk Alone written and performed by Julie Phan.

Reina is the name of the woman whose head appears on the packaging of Venezuela’s favourite brand of cornmeal.  She’s played by Lujan in drag through multiple lives in which cornmeal is used to communicate with the audience, to actually make arepas (including arepas pasties) and to explore how a staple food is both affected by and shapes the colonial experience.  Masa is the food that sustains the Indigenous people and is alien to incomers.

It’s a colourful lively show with lots of movement and a banana.  Lujan is a pretty good dancer and he’s supported by some really interesting sound design (Miquelon Rodriguez, with music by Y Josephine), and lighting (Nathan Bruce).  Although there is an underlying serious edge this is basically an upbeat show with lots of humour.

Never Walk Alone is much darker.  Phan plays Honey (at least that’s her stage name); a stripper in a club in Montreal.  It’s Christmas Eve which just makes the whole setting that bit more depressing.  Between pole dances and encounters with unseen rather pathetic men; including her ex, we learn about Honey’s childhood with an alcoholic uncle who frequents strip clubs and a single mother with whom she rows constantly.

There’s a curious passive aggressive quality about Honey which makes her situation and the men she interacts with just that bit more unsettling.  Phan’s portrayal of the disdain Honey feels for the world she lives in and, especially her clients is chilling   Woven into all this is the story of a mythical immortal Chinese bird that endures.  It provides the rather sudden but satisfying ending.

There’s definitely some (dry/dark) humour, as in the scene with the French guy who fought in Vietnam who sees Honey as the reincarnation of his bar-girl sweetie there.  Also the various anecdotes about her rather dubious uncle.  And of course there’s the pole dancing and the costumes that go with them that progress from teeny red bikini and fuck-me boots to teenier bikini and heels to well just the heels.  If there’s a Dora for minimalist costume design Phan is a shoe (or boot) in.  She’s also pretty capable on that pole.

This show too has striking music and sound (Miquelon Rodriguez) and lighting (Shawn Henry) and it’s well directed by Tawiah M’Carthy.  It’s slow burn with the surprises well placed.  All in all it rounds out a convincing double bill rather nicely.

Genrefuck runs at Buddies in Bad Times until May 31st.

Photo credits: Eden Graham (Reina) and Jeremy Mimnagh (Never Walk Alone)