REVIEW - The Vagina Monologues, Theatre Royal, Bath: UNDOUBTEDLY Eve Ensler's infamous collection of Vagina Monologues has opened up eyes, broken down barriers and challenged taboos, but at what price?

Smacking distinctly of the therapist's couch, the monologues, collected from 200 American women, range from enlightening to borderline self-indulgent.

Lesley Joseph, Nina Wadia and Tanya Moodie this week joined the ever-growing rank of celebrities who romp a mainly female audience through 90 minutes of vagina talk.

The stand-up comedy style performance lacks direction. One minute it takes on the role of a feminist rant against the male genitals, the next it delves into the sensitive and rather harrowing subject of rape camps.

The monologues themselves seek to teach women things they probably already know and instead of tackling issues of intimacy, self belief and sexual discovery, they seek to encourage the chorus of cat calls from female audience members, reducing the proceedings to the likes of downmarket underwear parties and Chippendale strip shows.

Monologues ranged from the ridiculous to the deeply moving.

Tanya Moodie's take on a young woman's lesbian awakening was as smooth as freshly pressed satin, but while I understand how talking openly about the vagina can teach women how to express themselves I fail to accept that yelling the "C" word at the top of your voice will aid in this voyage of self-discovery.

Call me sexist and old-fashioned but militant feminists have frowned upon Freud's theory of penis envy for years. How is this penis-mocking celebration any different?

Ironically, Ensler's creation left me of the opinion that having a vagina is more of a burden than a celebration. Comparing vaginas to the human heart was the last straw.

When vagina comprehension becomes difficult or too taxing Ensler turns the show into a poor rendition of When Harry Met Sally, which fits awkwardly around tales of ethnic rape camps and genital mutilation.