It was a bit hairy there for a few minutes. I thought a scuffle was going to break out for sure. Love a tough audience but I reckon there was going to be some biffo after the show. Ires were raised and conciliation was not on the agenda when such a divisive topic was let off the chain at the Bondi Feast.

As for me, I’m a barber’s daughter from the dark days when kids did what their parents wanted, where infant autonomy did not exist and no-one had the temerity to juxtapose consent and abuse. So I am seriously torn.

Well … not seriously. None of this is serious. It’s a fun, new Australian work called the ethics of paediatric haircut for long hair. Seriously!

The debate occurs between a scholarly, academic, clinically precise doctor in surgical scrubs and a scrubber hairdresser who specialises in cutting kids hair. The audience launches in and the debate is hijacked by the choir of some medical product from ProsiPharm, trying to further their own agenda.

The show is the brainchild of Isobel Yeap (the doc) and Antoinette Barbouttis and Yeap plays the doctor giving the lecture with Elysia Boyd as Paloma Orange, her antagonist. I especially liked the Doctor character who is, initially, logical and precise and authoritative. As the show progresses her warmth and passion engage the audience and she has a lovely little monologue which really drea me in.

The Paloma Orange character however was abrasive, vicious, snide, simplistic, sneering and arrogant – well delivered.

This was a short, wry, irony- heavy morsel. Nothing serious for sure … despite the interjections of some elements of the audience. Tasty!

the ethics of paediatric haircut for long hair plays again at the Bondi Pavilion Friday at 9:30pm.