White Feminist @ PBH Free Fringe, Tolbooth Market

Clad all in white, with perfect blonde hair, a pristine manicure and faultless jewellery, Becky Harlowe (played by writer, actor and comedian Lee Minora) is privilege personified; a white feminist with her own show on daytime TV, and she has got a lot to say. The only problem is, who is she talking to, and who is she talking for? This is feminism for the masses, talk-show style with more than a hint of hot and delicious satire.

In White Feminist, much like the women she lampoons, Minora’s Becky represents feminism as it is so often portrayed in the media, but also society. Loud, performative statements and actions, from pink woollen pussy hats to viral hashtags and language, there’s nothing Becky is unwilling to touch, use, and share in order to get her point across to her audience.

However, what makes White Feminist so watchable is its skewering of its main character, and, by extension, our attitudes and reactions to her. Harlowe is, at heart, a good person, trying to do good things with the platform she has available, which just so happens to be a popular TV show. But her impressive ability to centre herself and only herself in her dialogue with the audience, and whispers to her unseen producers, leads to a one-sided and exclusive side of a movement that needs to work for the better of everybody.

What White Feminist does so well is highlight where gender and privilege collide, and where our actions don’t always match our bold, provocative statements. While some of the more US-based references and humour didn’t always resonate with the UK audience, Minora is an exceptionally talented performer who has created a relevant and must-see satire for 2018.

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White Feminist, PBH Free Fringe, Tolbooth Market, until 25 Aug, 9.45pm, free

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