London-based cabaret troupe The Ruby Dolls blend the vintage harmonies of the Andrews Sisters with the attitude of modern feminism. Susanna Fiore, Jessica Sedler, Tara Siddall and Rebecca Shanks and always look impeccable, but they have storytelling chops, theatrical flair and an intellectual edge to what they do, crushing lesser rivals in their wake.
I caught up with Susanna Fiore, aka Susie Doll, ahead of their Camden show, to hear about their latest adventures in showbiz, and aiming a stiletto at preconceptions of feminism.
Lorna Irvine: You have covered, in your own inimitable style, a variety of tunes, from Radiohead to Stephen Sondheim, Jessie J to songs from Mary Poppins. Who is left for you to cover? Do you always agree on the choices?
Susanna Fiore: Well, we have just covered Pharrell Williams’ Happy, so no-one is safe from the Ruby treatment! We cover a wide range of styles and genres for our high-end event work, which is another strand to what The Ruby Dolls do. In the past, we have mainly chosen songs that best fit the story we are telling in our theatre work. For example, in Rubies in the Attic, our 2012 Edinburgh show, we sang in 5 languages and chose pieces that ranged from Neapolitan folk to Klezmer via South African anti-apartheid ditties, all of which we arranged into 4-part harmony. In Rubies in the Smoke, our 2013 London show, we had Anne Boleyn singing Hopelessly Devoted To You from Grease whilst a Doll dressed as David Bowie went a bit death metal with a piece from Sweeney Todd! Fabulous Creatures is our first piece with an entirely original score, written by Ruby Musical Director Benjamin Cox.
LI: Camille O' Sullivan, with whom you share a similar aesthetic, once said she was sick of being lumped in with the Burlesque revival. Has that ever happened? Do people ever expect you to start stripping off?
SF: Yes, they certainly used to. Especially when we were making shows that involved us wearing 1940s hair and make-up. There was a time a few years back when people seemed to view looking “vintage” in style as synonymous with Burlesque. We have friends who work in Burlesque and we wish them no disrespect, but it is quite far from what we do. Being lumped in with the Burlesque revival is one thing, but people have gone so far as to question our feminist credentials when we sport this particular look. In fact, a journalist once asked us how we could possibly call ourselves feminists whilst wearing red lipstick and heels! The period of the 1940s represents for us a time when women took on what were traditionally “men’s jobs” and found new levels of freedom and independence, it goes way beyond seamed stockings and elaborate hairdos. It seems a shame that we have been judged this way over a style choice, but sadly we think it’s the tip of the iceberg for a woman in any in any visible job - in the arts or not.
LI: How has Fabulous Creatures gone down? I understand you've had a fantastic response.
SF: Fabulous Creatures has been, well, fabulous! It was conceived only last November by talented writer and director team Abigail and Dominic Burdess, and we are so proud of it. It’s still in its infancy as musicals go, and to be able to try it out at the Edinburgh Festival this year was just wonderful. Taking a risk is what Edinburgh is truly all about. We had a fantastic month and had time to let the characters breathe and grow. We had a young girl stop us on the street to say she had been thinking a lot about “goatism” which is synonymous with 'feminism' in the world of the show and on another occasion an older couple approached us with tears in their eyes to say they had a teenage daughter and the piece had really spoken to them about the experience of being a young woman today. We are likely to be developing the piece further next year and are very excited to be continuing its journey.
LI: There has been a definite resurgence in feminist theatre, comedy and cabaret (Bryony Kimmings, Bridget Christie, Sh!t Theatre, Figs In Wigs, Joanna Griffin's Clown Slut, etc). Who do you feel a kinship with--and who would you recommend?
SF: Bryony Kimmings’ Credible Likeable Superstar Role Model was simply one of the most relevant and exciting pieces we saw last year. Brave, honest and frankly terrifying. We are a great admirer of her work and also of her open conversations about being a woman working within the arts industry. Her Show Me Yours blog valiantly reveals her earnings and financial arrangements with the venues she works with. Money is still such a taboo subject amongst artists so it is really important to keep the conversation going and help younger artists entering the profession to understand their rights. Bridget Christie’s A Bic For Her last year was very funny. We loved it. We are also very excited to see the work of the other artists involved in Calm Down, Dear this year.
LI: You are girls after my own heart, in terms of your love of all things vintage. (I'm an ex-Goth and still big fan of Angela Carter!-so much to answer for!) Where can you get the best vintage stuff? Have you been to Wayne Hemingway's Vintage Festival?
SF: For good vintage clothing we recommend both Blitz & Beyond Retro in East London, and for vintage style clothing Tara Starlet & Dolly Dagger. Susie Doll is also an ex-goth and T Doll’s favourite book is Angela Carter’s Nights at the Circus, so we hear you!
LI: Describe each other using one word each:
Jess Doll describing T Doll: Seductive
Susie Doll describing Jess Doll: Inquisitive
T Doll describing Becca Doll: Romantic
Becca Doll describing Susie Doll: Provocative
LI: Each show has a different theme- what's next for you?
SF: We are currently re-grouping post-Edinburgh and planning the next stage for Fabulous Creatures, which is our focus at the moment. In terms of a new show, who knows? Becca Doll would like it to be a romance, Susie Doll a zombie apocalypse, Jess Doll, a gritty modern drama with sharp suits and T Doll would like to lie atop a piano. So watch this space for a glamorous Zom-Com set in a bank! The sky’s the limit!
Ruby Dolls play the Calm Down, Dear: Festival of Feminism 2014 at Camden People’s Theatre, October 11th at 9 pm
For more information: www.therubydolls.com
RSS