The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls (2009); comedy documentary film review

Poster artwork for the comedy documentary film The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls.

Topp Talents by Linh

If you've never heard of or known the Topp Twins, then the documentary The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls will not only give you an insight into their early life and current career, but also keep them in your memory as one of the most wholesome and funniest comedy acts. The Topp Twins use improvisation to keep their live shows fresh, spontaneous and exciting; this yodelling, country singing comedy duo is a force of funny that is unpretentious and inclusive. Although they are lesbians, their comedy, music and hilarious antics reach a wide demographic and transcends prejudice.

TOPP TWOSOME: Jools and Lynda Topp as themselves. Image: Sally Tagg.

Jools and Lynda Topp are twins who grew up on a farm in Huntly on the North Island of New Zealand, and have sung and performed together for over twenty years in their native New Zealand as well as in Australia, Europe and the US.

Jools is the older of the twins by five minutes and sings, writes, performs and plays the guitar, while Lynda sings acts, plays the harmonica and is the audience stirrer during the shows. Their chemistry is a perfect mix for comedy as their humour bounces off each other with brilliant comic timing.

COUNTRY CROONERS: Lynda and Jools Topp in the documentary The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls. Image: Diva Productions, Rialto Films.

The documentary features early footage of the sisters from feeding, playing and caring for their farm animals when they were children, to riding their horses and busking around town and on university grounds. They ran onto the field to disrupt the South African rugby tour in protest against apartheid, supported the fight for Maori land rights and brought awareness of gay and lesbian rights in New Zealand. Despite their political activism, they never push any agenda onto others but raise awareness through music and comedy. The sisters even use graffiti to send messages about various issues including spraying "Inactive today, Radioactive tomorrow" to make the government reconsider nuclear energy in New Zealand.

SERIAL SOCIALISERS: Lynda and Jools Topp as Prue and Dilly. Image: Sally Tagg.

The Topp Twins provide mainly character-based comedy, with a plethora of bizarre and relatable alter-egos who have found a way to infiltrate the New Zealand psyche as well as a place in the hearts of the people, therefore gaining the status of New Zealand's "national treasures". The weird but likeable characters include Mavis and Lorna the lawn-bowlers, Prue and Dilly the flashy socialites, Camp leader and Camp mother as well as the regular chaps Ken and Ken. The Topp Twins created more characters for their television series which also feature briefly in the documentary, and the series ran for a few years in New Zealand and on ABC TV in Australia.

REGULAR CHAPS: Lynda and Jools Topp as Ken and Ken. Image: Sally Tagg.

The documentary is interspersed with interviews of those who have worked with and protested alongside of Jools and Lynda throughout their career. They are seated in a cabaret style setting at a table with lighted candles and include radical activist and singer Billy Bragg, former Prime Minister of New Zealand Helen Clark, writer and satirist John Clarke, and Mark Trevorrow, best known for his comic/cabaret character Bob Downe, who all have some positive and funny anecdotes about the Topp Twins.

CAMP CHICKS: Jools and Lynda Topp as Camp Leader and Camp Mother. Image: Sally Tagg.

Their parents Peter and Jean Topp also appear in the documentary and are fiercely proud and supportive of the twins' sexuality and were shocked at first to find not only were their daughters gay, but so was their son. Peter Topp says their children "have never embarrassed" them even though it took him longer to accept it than his wife. Jools and Lynda live with their partners, who appear briefly in the film, and look upon the twins with much love and support.

The film goes into a slightly sombre mood as news of Jools being diagnosed with cancer affects Lynda, who was devastated but hopeful that Jools would beat the disease. The sisters put their 2006 tour on hold as Jools recovered from cancer and regains her strength.

CANCER SURVIVOR: Lynda gives Jools the kiss of life (of sorts). Image: Sally Tagg.

 

The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls won  the prestigious Cadillac People’s Choice Audience Award for Best Documentary, beating Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival, and the Most Popular Documentary at the 2009 Melbourne International Film Festival. 

The film is more than just about Jools and Lynda Topp sharing intimate and funny moments of their lives with the audience; it's also a celebration of diversity, acceptance and enjoying the funny side of life.

GOAT HERDERS: Jools and Lynda Topp as Herty and Gerty with a pet goat. Image: Sally Tagg.

Director: Leanne Pooley

Cast: Jools Topp, Lynda Topp, Peter Topp, Jean Topp, Paul Horan, Billy, Bragg, John Clarke, Helen Clark, Mark Trevorrow,

Producer: Ariani Cuthbert

Cinematographer: Wayne Vinten (Director of Photography), Leon Narbey (Director of Photography)

Original Music Composers: Jools and Lynda Topp

Film Editor: Tim Woodhouse

Running Time: 1 hour and 24 minutes