REVIEW | Candace Bushnell - True Tales of Sex, Success and SEX AND THE CITY

Reviews

9 Feb

Written by Annie

*Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review

When the invitation to this show came through it was an absolute instant YES - to say I’m a SATC fan is an understatement. So, to see the women who started it all in the flesh, celebrating her hugely successful career was an absolute honour of the highest order.

I will say that despite an excellently written bio for the show, I had no idea what to expect from the show, and I left having been totally fulfilled with the funniest, most real and honest tales.

It is no secret that Candance Bushnell is nothing short of a huge success, in terms of career development and social status, so her life tales are far from the ordinary. Having pursued a career as a writer from a very young age, she took the audience on this journey from her high school days to the present day - and I always love it when someone is so candid about their personal journey. We were let into every secret, knockback and it was told in the most witty manner.

Candance is a natural born comedian, amongst a talented writer and feminist - the show is nothing but uplifting, hilarious and blunt. She reflects on her life and experiences with the utmost honesty and candour I could only wish to one day have.

Despite being such a huge fan of Sex and the City, I very shamefully must admit that I didn’t realise quite how many of the storylines were based on Bushnell’s real-life scenarios. These tales are relaid as trivia for the audience, again proving Bushnell’s brilliant humour. It created such a personal experience between her and the public, making a space even as huge as the London Palladium feel as if you were sitting in Bushnell’s living room one to one.

We’ve all grown to love Carrie, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte, but Bushnell still preaches that the most important people in your life are your girlfriends, and it is a message I think so many can relate with. In a world where there are so many societal pressures on women, it is so refreshing to have a woman stand up in a one-woman show and celebrate not only her own independence, but the power in which it is to be an independent woman.

Candance Bushnell is truly a living Carrie Bradshaw and celebrates every eccentricity of the alter ego she has created. From the red mini skirt and sparkly Manolo Blahniks, to the wholly overstated feathery number in act two, she is the living proof of being your true authentic self.

Bushnell has such a huge personality, yet feels entirely personable throughout the show making the night seem like a catch up with your oldest friend. She is a true inspiration for women of all ages, and it is clearly the secret for why the show and her books were and are so successful.

The show runs so seamlessly and Bushnell is a natural on the stage. Not just because the script is well rehearsed, but she is so comfortable in her skin that any mishap is easily rectified with her natural stage presence. It was a joy to be a part of the audience and feel like you were getting to know Candance on a personal level.

Its fair to say that I left an even bigger SATC fan than I entered, and immediately ordered one of Bushnell’s books. The show aired almost 20 years ago, yet its message is just as prominent today and is such a comfort to single women everywhere. The audience was a beautiful mix of generations; it was a true testament to not only the show's success, but Bushnell’s message of celebrating feminism and a woman’s right to embrace and enjoy her sex life.

The show is a true celebration not just of Bushnell’s successful career, but the importance and beauty of being a modern, independent woman.

I really wish I could return to see the tour again at one of its other UK venues, but for now am fighting the urge to not jump onto the Manolo website and live out all my Carrie/Candance fantasies!

Candace Bushnell’s show will tour to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Oxford and Canterbury. Tickets can be found here.