Interview: Figs in Wigs

All-female comedy quintet Figs in Wigs promise a mix of comedy, dance, music and circus in their new tongue-in-cheek variety piece Show Off, which enjoyed a successful run at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe and visits the Cube on Saturday, October 24.

“Underneath the neon lights, Figs in Wigs are delving deep into modern society’s fixation with self. Expect excessive use of puns, obscure cultural references and unconventional choreography all washed down with a bottle of WKD (or two).”

I like the name. Where did it come from?

Back in 2010 we were pitching our show in front of fellow Queen Mary University students. Everyone votes for the shows they want to be taken up to the Edinburgh Fringe – sort of like X-Factor but in a sweaty room above a pub with no budget. We had to come up with a company name and we wanted something catchy and memorable. Our English Lit housemate informed us that ‘figs’ were used in medieval literature to symbolise female genitalia, which we all have. And it rhymes with ‘wigs’, and we like wigs. 

So, what are Figs in Wigs all about?

We are a five-piece alt-performance troupe that dabble in dance, live art, glitter and really bad puns. We’ve also recently become an experimental post-punk band. Think Spice Girls on acid.
Our style and influences come from so many places, but a continual source of inspiration is Poundland or any other discounted retail establishment. It’s amazing how many costume ideas and theatrical props can be found in a bargain store. One time we made an entire outfit out of scourers. Other key influences include Cher and chairs. We like anything that makes us laugh, it doesn’t have to be modern. In fact our humour is pretty antique.

With Show Off you promise a variety show… what sorts of things can we expect?

Well, it’s a variety show with very little variety as Figs in Wigs are the only act… but to spice things up we reinvent ourselves every ten minutes as a new genre of performers. There’ll be dancing in the dark, singing in the shower, juggling with hoops, drum rolls, bad jokes, worse puns and a general menagerie of organised chaos. The best thing to do is expect everything and then feel disenfranchised. 

The show explores narcissism and the social-media age. Has social media made us all a bit more self-conscious, a bit more… theatrical?

This is the exact question that inspired the show. There’s certainly something about the form of the Facebook status, or the tweet, that seems to encourage a new level of self-involvement, the idea that your sandwich is more interesting than we could possibly imagine. But maybe humans have always been like that, and maybe social media simply allows it a more public visibility than before.
We’re not really sure. But if we do uncover the truth we’ll let you know, via Twitter. Follow us on @figsinwigs for regular profundities and profanities. 

Figs in Wigs: Show Off is at the Cube Cinema on Saturday, October 24. For more info and to book tickets, visit www.cubecinema.com/programme/event/figs-in-wigs-showoff,7988

Top pic: Christa Holka