Based on Aristophanes' Assemblywomen, Women in Power tells the story of the women of Athens’ plot to overthrow the all-male assembly and take charge of the government. Originally intended to ridicule the government of the time (391 BC) a powerhouse of writers, comedians and performers (including Natalie Haynes, Shappi Khorsandi and Jenny Eclair, to name a few) have turned this concept on its head, showing that the most ridiculous idea is that women shouldn’t be in positions of power.

Bursting onto stage, the cast of six launch themselves into the first musical number (composed by Tim Sutton - please make them available on Spotify!) telling of the hardships and toils faced by the women of Athens. Soon the plot is revealed by Strategia (rousing orator Lydia Rose Bewley), as she schools her fellow rebels in how to behave when in the Assembly, and the importance of not letting your knitted beard slip! Once the women have taken control, it’s not long until the men appear on stage to question this new order. In possibly the most shocking scene of the play, Conjunctivitis (a wonderfully graphic Alicia Mckenzie) both horrified and delighted the audience with his dirty antics.

From the fourth act onwards, the play traced the idea of an entirely equal society to its limit, moving away from a traditional plot into a series of sketches showing the impact of these new laws on the people of Athens. Lisa Kerr’s rendition of Bronchitis’ touching and melodious love song to his possessions was both beautiful and hilarious. Anne Odeke’s improvisation was spot-on throughout the performance. Elizabeth Boag as an Athenian Jenny Eclair was excellent; I’ve never heard so many saggy vagina jokes written and spoken by a woman in such a short amount of time.

Jasmine Swan’s set design plays with the audience’s expectations. Sure, there’s the classical pillars and busts, but there’s also a giant pair of lips, and a pineapple camouflaged to blend in with the more conventional set.

The comedic devices used were a fantastic mixture of slapstick, smut and up-to-date savvy satire performed through spoken word, song and dance. I couldn’t help but feel there was a tinge of sadness because of the disparity between the utopia - however drink- and sex-fuelled - on stage, and the reality of women’s place in this world. This was artfully touched upon during a David Attenborough-esque scene (the man himself performed by the skilful Anna Fordham in safari attire), where the young male is aggressively pursued by a gang of horny women claiming that unlimited access to his genitalia was justified and encouraged by the law. The fourth wall intervention and a cry of “Imagine if this was the other way round!” ensured a quick return to a more clownish humour and drew us away from the darker themes.

While unconventional in its plot arc (or lack of), Women in Power provides a subversive and hilarious twist on Aristophanes’ ancient work. Director Blanche McIntyre has succeeded in breathing new life and purpose into the piece. Oh, and please do make sure to lend Conjunctivitis a hand...