Cindy Salmon is determined to change the world. Almost since her immaculate conception, she’s been high kicking glass ceilings, hat stands’ windpipes and anything that stops women from controlling their own lives. Hat stands are men. She’s not one of those women who dislikes hat stands – the hat stands in her audience will shout her name from the rooftops – but, for once, hat stands can deal with being described as something generic.
When she and her creator Hayley Tantau received a Moosehead (Melbourne’s Moosehead Awards have supported original and innovative comedians since 1987), she put on one of her favourite hot-pink power blazers and asked to book a sports arena for her Empowerful “salmonar”. However, she’s making do with the smaller Games Room at ACMI, and her audiences know how lucky they are to get some small-school time.
She demonstrates how to do daily tasks in an empowering way, how to reject the rejection of the likes of John West and how to face any fear that’s holding you back. Or holding your only friend above a fast-flowing river.
Cindy makes everyone feel like they are her favourite people and are ready to overcome anything. With her genuine love and encouragement, audience fears are revealed and… some fears are universal and powerful and hard to high kick in the windpipe.
Tantau explores how even our most enthusiastic role models sometimes need a bit of help and how women – and hat stands – can help each other to smash the patriarchy, swim upstream and be hilariously amazing.