My Private Parts | The Sydney Fringe
- September 29th, 2010
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It’s a funny catchy title. I loved asking people “Are you seeing My Private Parts?”… and the usual guffaw or smirk results. In a Fringe Festival guide stuffed full of shows, it is hard to find a point of difference- but My Private Parts manages this brilliantly.
Polka dot dresses, Doris Day tunes, a giant picture of a pin up girl with a microwave inserted where her “private parts” would be… a three piece band, plenty of music and two stunning performers- what more could I possibly want?
Deborah Thomson, James Beach and Brendan Mc Donall have created a show about the most intimate and difficult topic of our times- fertilisation- luckily there is plenty of song, dance and innuendo – just what the doctor ordered. Tracking Deborah’s dating experience through a series of “fine at the time/ not suitable fathering material” partners… and of course the pursuit of a career… and all the other factors that lead to the fact that so many women are having babies later than their parents did.
The story is one of huge effort- huge personal doubt, focus, trauma, yearning- wherein sex becomes unsexy and functional, where the biological clock is a cruel dictator and modern science overwhelms the natural… Fearlessly, sweetly, beautifully, Deborah Thomson and Lucy Miller, tackle a variety of roles, songs, stories- all the while swinging between explaining the technical aspects of IVF and the personal reality of embarking on such an adventure. Though I chuckled and smiled my way through this bubbly and bright show, when pendulum swung back the other way- I felt even more devastated… it hit me right where it hurts- in my 30 year old ovaries.
This was one of Sydney Fringe’s gems, beautifully costumed, a fantastic score, a great story, two beautiful performers and a band- this deserved a much larger venue- as this is a story women need to see and perhaps even more importantly men need to see it. It’s a story needing to be told- a story of resilience, the wonders of medical science, focus, ambition and most importantly love and acceptance.
Show Duration: 75 Minutes
DATE: 14/Sep, 19/Sep, 22/Sep, 23/Sep, 25/Sep
START TIME: 14/09 20:00, 19/09 17:00, 22/09 20:00, 23/09 21:30, 25/09 20:00 (75 Minutes)
VENUE: The Other Room
TICKETS: Adult: $20.00 / Concession: $16.00
http://sa2.seatadvisor.com/sabo/servlets/EventSearch?presenter=AUCENTURY&event=FRPRIVAT
Tick. Absolutely agreed. Laughed my arse off and really felt gutted and devastated at the low points. This show needs to tour!
As a friend and fan of Deb – I couldn’t agree more
Thanks Augusta. I’m pleased you got so much from the show and would just like to acknowledge the fabulous contribution of co-director Brendon McDonall.
You’re a gentleman Mr Beach. A true gentleman. Thanks for the great review Gus! We’re chuffed.
Thanks Augusta for this great review. I am most humbled by it and am so pleased that everything that we tried to achieve with this production seems to have been seen and heard in the way that we had all hoped. Much appreciated!