Tits Up was a night of cabaret at The Mad Hatter to fundraise for CoppaFeel!. The charity aims to educate people about the symptoms of breast cancer, empowering people to catch it early so there is a stronger chance of surviving and recovering. This is a subject (both figuratively and literally) close to the hearts of many, so it was great to attend such a fun show run to fundraise for an important cause.
The Mad Hatter is a fantastic venue for these kinds of nights, decked out with Alice in Wonderland decorations and paraphernalia from previous shows, creating a palimpsest of cultural references and contributing to the energized and over-the-top atmosphere that cabaret thrives on. They also know how to nail wordplay, putting together a themed drinks menu that included cocktails like Lady’s Garden.
The crowd were generally chatty and enthusiastic, although a few had never been to see cabaret before and weren’t sure what to expect. The MC Ms Mabel Syrup soon put them at ease though, explaining the fundamentals (basically: don’t be a twat, and cheer a lot). We are very lucky to have such an array of talented performers in Oxford. There were many familiar faces from the regular burlesque, drag and comedy circuit and it was fun to watch people who are clearly friends support each other’s acts. I’ve also enjoyed watching Mabel Syrup’s career developing – she’s a regular highlight at drag nights like S.P.U.D.S. and this was her first time emceeing a show. If I hadn’t been told this, I wouldn’t have realized, as she had a commanding presence, setting the tone quickly and talking to the audience with ease. There were moments where she lost her train of thought, forgetting the names of the acts she was meant to be announcing, but she took these in her stride and turned them into jokes.
The audience were obviously enjoying themselves, cheering on the acts enthusiastically and taking the chance to be what one act described as a ‘pantomime crowd’. A line up including burlesque, singing and comedy was always going to be tonally uneven, but the crowd’s goodwill and the performers’ energy meant that this did not matter. It was noticeable that the audience was not quite warmed up for comedy, so it speaks to the skill of Chelsea Birkby and Alex Farrow that they quickly had everyone engaged and in stitches. A firm favourite was Doctor Pussy, who came onstage to give the funniest demonstration of breast-checking I’ve ever seen. Official instructions can be found on the CoppaFeel! website, although sadly the video does not include Doctor Pussy’s many nicknames for breasts (‘baps, as they’re known in Greggs’ being my favourite). Not only was she brilliant, but including her brought the night’s entertainment together nicely with the reason behind the show. The night was rounded off by Mabel Syrup removing her Crocs in a sexy manner, which was not something I had thought possible.
Tits Up was a fun night of cabaret and I look forward to attending similar nights in future. The organiser, Beth Mabbutt (who also performed on the night), is running a fundraiser that you can contribute to here.