Near Ms's
Written and performed by Sue Ingleton
Directed by Kerry Dwyer
At the Athenaeum, Melbourne, until September 27
Reviewed by Bronwen Beechey
At the beginning of Near Ms's, Sue Ingleton states that the reason for her bringing her award-winning play back for a season at the Fringe Festival is a simple one: "I need the money". If that's true, Ingleton's financial problems are our gain.
Near Ms's is an alternatively hilarious and moving look at the lives of "six women who should have been famous". They are: Aphra Benn, the 16th-century poet and playwright who was the first woman to make a living by her writing; Ada Byron Lovelace who, along with Charles Babbage, invented the first computer; American feminist writer Charlotte Perkins Gilman; birth control activist Margaret Sanger; Sojourner Truth, the former slave whose speech to the 1848 Seneca Falls Women's Convention has given one of Â鶹´«Ã½'s regular columns its name — "and ain't I a woman"; and last but definitely not least, Ingleton's alter ego, 92-year old Edith Wise.
All these women are brought to life brilliantly by Ingleton, who also pays tribute to another woman who unexpectedly helped her lay some personal demons to rest. Edith in particular is a real delight with her earthy and deadly accurate observations.
Near Ms's is a passionate reminder of how women have been excluded from history, and a tribute to the courage and determination of these extraordinary women.
The Women's Season
Courthouse Theatre, Melbourne
Reviewed by Lin Wolfe
The Women's Season has been a regular feature of the Fringe Festival since its inception. Over a two-week period, two programs of short works written, directed and performed by women give new writers and performers a chance to showcase their work, and more established artists an opportunity to try out new material.
Program One was a lively and sometimes surprising event. While all the performances were excellent, the material varied in quality, giving a slightly uneven feel to the program as a whole. This is probably unavoidable in any program consisting of works of such varied subject matter and style.
The strongest piece was the final offering, Space history for beginners, by Jackie Smith. It was a funny and thought-provoking monologue on rocketry, the Big Bang, dreams and disappointments.
Another highlight was Clare Heywood serenading the audience with "Endless Love" accompanied by grand gestures, in her reminiscences of a Brisbane bridesmaid, Bouquet or bucket. It was also good to see the non-patronising inclusion of two actors with Downs Syndrome in Lycra Ladyland. All in all, an enjoyable evening's entertainment and proof of the wealth of talented women performers out there. It's likely that a number of these pieces will be seen around town in the next few months, so watch out for them.