Ladies Night: red hot striptease, deep belly-laughs and brilliant storyline meet on stage in globally acclaimed Kiwi comedy

Mike Edward, star of the comedy Ladies Night, which is touring nationwide in September and November.

REVIEW:

When I told my mother I was taking her to a live show called Ladies Night where there’d be a bit of stripping she wasn’t entirely enthused.

“No way,” she said.

“I am not doing that.”

“It’s a play,” I explained.

“Think Magic Mike or Full Monty, and it’s not - I repeat NOT - interactive. I’ve seen it before and it’s bloody funny, it’s about a group of everyday guys putting on an amateur pub strip show to make some cash.”

Mum Leask warmed - tentatively - to the idea and agreed to come along.

“Phew, you had me scared for a minute,” she said.

“Ok…”

I’m sure many people out there are like my darling mum - they hear the name of the show, see the promo poster and think immediately of those hideous strip troupe productions from the early 2000s.

You know the ones - where men in tacky-themed costumes perform as cowboys, cops, firemen and construction workers et al and stand in a line and gyrate, wiggle and thrust their way through a somewhat sleazy dance routine before a room full of squealing women drunk off carafes of cheap table wine.

Ladies Night is coming to a town near you and is well worth a trip out with your mates. Photo / Supplied

But this Ladies Night is worlds away from that kind of performance - it’s funny, clever and quite a masterclass in entertainment.

In fact, written by Kiwis, the play has become the most commercially successful in New Zealand history since it was first performed in 1987.

Penned by Stephen Sinclair and Anthony McCarten, Ladies Night follows a group of mates down on their luck who decide to put on a strip show at a local bar to raise some much-needed cash.

It’s been a global hit over the years - translated into 16 languages and eight tours of the show have sold out across Britain.

It’s touted as New Zealand’s sexiest comedy and that’s definitely on the mark.

But there’s no sleaze or tack here - while the bodies are taut, toned and oiled, the operators are skilful actors and performers using their rigs to tell a genuine story about the journey of a group of Kiwi blokes navigating friendships, relationships and hard times.

It’s a story of determination, overcoming and growth which just so happens to have a good dollop of harmless and hilarious nudity.

Actor Reid McGowan, who plays crowd-favourite Norman, sums it up perfectly on his social media, saying:

“Come see this lovely play. Yes, we get some skin out, but there’s also rich storyline and character development.”

The current rendition of Ladies Night has some familiar Kiwi faces including Mike Edward of Shortland Street, Power Rangers, The Brokenwood Mysteries and Spartacus and Mark Wright who also boasts stints on Shortland Street and Power Rangers on his extensive acting CV.

“Think Magic Mike with a double shot of Kiwi humour,” the promo material says, accurately of both the well-selected cast and script.

“This hilarious new production of Ladies Night promises to be this year’s funniest night out as these real Kiwi blokes dare each other to put on a male strip show, after falling down on their luck and needing some extra cash.

“A spur-of-the-moment idea rapidly becomes a reality as the venue is booked and the seats sold. With the terrifying prospect of actually having to strip in front of the public only moments away, Craig, Barry, Norm, Wes and Gavin set about transforming themselves from beer belly to Six Pack.”Follow them on their journey as they get to grips with the finer points of seduction, stripping and the perfect wax job.”

Mark Wright seeks some advice on the perfect male physique ahead of starring in Ladies Night.

Not long after we took our seats in the iconic James Hay Theatre in the Christchurch Town Hall the laughs began and it’s fair to say they continued throughout.

The cast are delicious - selected perfectly for each of the roles, and full of energy in every moment from the awkward and cringeworthy moments of the script to the red-hot racy bits.

While there are racy bits aplenty - the play itself is all class - cleverly building to a great finale which I won’t spoil but will say is absolute FIRE.

Edward - a 49-year-old father of two - is a crowd favourite with every bum wiggle and hint of a strip getting a huge reaction from the crowd.

The role of Norman, played by McGowan, was a stand out for us - starting out as a character more like Napoleon Dynamite dressed by David Bain’s jersey knitter than a sex symbol but really transforming into a white-hot (literally) performer with some serious physical flair by the finale.

And Andrew Ford as Gavin is a delight - again no spoiler but you will see a transformation like no other as he takes this character on a journey from down-on-his-luck to sequinned and spectacular performer.

Jono Kenyon as the leader of the wildly named Raging Rhinos (thanks for stopping by our seats in your undies, Mum Leask was STOKED), Andrew Cornish as staunched out rugby head-turned stripper Wes and Julia Guthrey as dance coach Glenda also add to the brilliant line-up.

There’s no shortage of entertainment and while there’s a plethora of questionable dance moves, they’re definitely more deliberate than dirty and no one is left feeling anything but thoroughly entertained.

Actor Jono Kenyon. Photo / Supplied

We laughed so much our faces hurt, any mascara we applied preshow was running down our cheeks and I am sure the whole room would agree it was an incredible performance.

And I lied to mum - it is a little interactive…. No spoiler but those in the front row are in for “cool” time and those throughout the venue are sure to get their chance for a more up close and personal glimpse of the cast.

If you want a good night out I highly recommend getting a ticket to your nearest performance - and the lads are definitely coming to a town near you starting in Ashburton next week before moving north through Nelson and Blenheim to Wellington and up through the North Island.

Mum Leask is glad she went too.

“I want to go again,” she exclaimed as soon as we got to the car. “It was just totally amazing and top marks to the performers - they are huge talents, tasteful and classy and so fun.

“It was just - oh I can’t find the words for it… it was just so awesome.”