CityLife

Pam Ann

Pam Ann deals in stereotypes... but with aplomb

Pam Ann
The Lowry
November 15, 2009

THERE aren't many acts without a TV reputation that can draw the level of audience as Pam Ann. The majority are the trolley dolly parody's gay contingent, add to that the cabin crews and the rest of us hangers on and you fill out The Lowry Lyric Theatre's couple of thousand capacity twice over - and on a Sunday and Monday evenings too which is no mean feat.

But seeing the spectacle that is a Pam (the creation of Aussie comedian Caroline Reid) show, it's not surprising she draws in the crowds. It's a fun, near on two hour blend of high camp and arch bitch that is more foulmouthed than a trucker with a wasp in his cab. It's a true cult hit.

This time around Pam returns to her beloved Manchester - it truly is a favourite of hers - with a mixture of old and new material; there's a chance to see the brilliantly simple disaster movie pastiche Terror At 41,000ft again, plus her wonderful mimed routine to Charlene's I've Never Been To Me. But she opens the show with stand up material on the mergers between airlines as Pam ponders how the rather ordered Lufthansa will mix with passionately apologetic Alitalia.

There's no doubt that Pam deals in stereotypes. They're all un-PC but equality abounds as no culture remains un-lampooned, and it's all done with wry affection. Lily a Singaporean airline hostess is an outrageously dotty oriental woman, Air France stewardesses are all skinny stylish bitches and elsewhere on private jets Michelle Obama has pimped out Air Force One.

Pam also has a type for all cabin crew - Easy Jet of course are cheap in their unsubtle orange man-made fibre uniforms, Virgin are vacant sluts and British Airways horsey, old school and uptight. All the glorious running jokes are lapped up by Pam's regular crowds and by the newcomers too.