I got to see The Awakening, the debut show from The Feminist Cult Agenda, as part of Live Theatre’s Unearthed Festival, spotlighting new talent and showcasing performances with a feminist slant. If The Awakening had slanted any more feminist, it would’ve been at risk of falling over.

Kerris Gibson and Nicola Mantalios have created a sketch show that’s as energetic as it is absurd. From heartwarming commercial breaks compelling you to ‘adopt an incel’ to a mini lecture delivered by the stylishly dressed ‘vagilantes’ to an incredibly catchy song about carpet shops, no section went without riotous laughter.

Whilst I felt that many of the sketches promised a clear conclusion or message that they didn’t quite manage to deliver, and there didn’t seem to be an obvious connection between lots of the individual pieces, the jokes were consistently hilarious and the characters were convincingly silly. The playfulness of Gibson and Mantalios was contagious - it was impossible not to laugh along with their antics.

With this kind of quality and variety under their belt in a debut show, I can’t wait to see where Gibson and Mantalios take The Feminist Cult Agenda next. Hopefully back to the carpet shop.

Lily Tibbitts