From flatulence to menstruation, Bats Theatre this week is presenting plays which people would normally shy away from. 

Which is exactly the premise behind Discharge’s production, 28 Days: a period piece.  Six women are presenting a theatre-in-education show about the menstrual cycle, in particular periods. However some of the group decide that they shouldn’t propagate the many myths that surround women and their periods but present personnel stories of their own.  From here through songs and dialogue each shows what they have in mind and through which the audience learns about the diversity of menstruation.

There was much humour in the show – once a month my knickers look like the Japanese flag – and some inventive and original scenes, like acting out the shedding of the ovarian egg and being on trial for menstruating.  But others like Sasha’s reasonably competent tap dance routine seemed to have little relevance to the overall concept of the show.

And while the acting wasn’t great – shouting lines and gesticulating wildly is not acting – and the singing mediocre, the show was performed with lots of energy and flowed seamlessly from scene to scene.  And the cast did know their subject matter and while having a lot of fun with it also showed a genuine honesty about what they were presenting.

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I have to confess those of us of ‘a certain age’ laughed and rolled our eyes on discovering a women’s theatre group was doing a Fringe show about periods. When women’s theatre bestrode the stages of the western world back in the 1970s, this quickly became perceived as the cliché topic – largely by detractors of feminist theatre, it has to be said. Subsequent shows were at pains to point out they had moved on from all that supposed stereotype. 

Well this is what Kate Schrader, actor and publicist, has to say about that: “It’s a harmful and untrue stereotype and it serves to limit what female comedians can talk about onstage for fear of the communal eye-roll from the audience.  We just thought, screw the stereotype – let’s embrace it.” 

Besides, this is a whole new generation in a brand new century of greater awareness and more compassionate sensibilities. And it is Wellington’s Dunedin-born Discharge making the show – in the wake of What Is This, Women’s Hour? (2013); Benedict Cumberbatch Must Die and Mary’s Christmas (2014). And one of the things that hasn’t changed is what my generation used to call ‘The Curse’.

As we have come to expect from Discharge, there is perceptive wit and subtle satire within their happy, smiley ‘it’s a musical comedy!’ presentation. Most importantly there is recognition that menstruation can affect women very differently.

Abbey Howells’ script is predicated on the idea that Discharge is being paid by ‘The Board of Directors’ to present a theatre-in-education show about periods which perpetuates many myths, assumes it’s the same for everyone and takes an overall “it happens, get over it” position – but hey, “the people with the money always make the right creative decisions!” Oh yes: that gets a big laugh from the opening night audience at Bats Theatre.  

The central dramatic conflict, then, becomes whether to go with the status quo flow or create something new according to the personal experiences of the six cast members – who, a programme note acknowledges, are “a sample group that is not hugely diverse. This is just one tiny snippet of the huuuge menstruation conversation.”  

Intriguingly Abbey casts herself as the most resistant to change while Rosie Howells delivers a rap to let it be known, “When I’m on the rag I feel like shit.” Josephine Byrnes, in her Otago University sweat shirt, is intent on imparting scientific facts, even if they are not entertaining (which they actually turn out to be).

Harriet Hughes wants to promulgate her blood-thirsty Count Flapula idea while Kate Schrader sees an opportunity to showcase her tap dancing skills because Sasha Borissenko has not turned up to this ‘rehearsal’. But when Sasha does appear … Suffice to say one of the six song ’n’ dance numbers is ‘What’s Tappening to Me?’ 

As directed by Caitlin McNaughton, there is pleasing rhythm and flow, abetted by Helen Mackenzie’s festive array of costumes and Alex Wilson’s lighting (although often the actors need to step forward half a pace to get the top of their heads out of shadow).

The final court case, clearly inspired by the Salem Witch Trials and/or Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is, well, inspired. Amid all the song, dance – rap, tap and flap – the intended message is clearly delivered with infectious humour.

Another feel-good show from Discharge.

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