ANY WOMB WILL DO
08/03/2015 - 09/03/2015
NZ Fringe Festival 2015 [reviewing supported by WCC]
Production Details
Gavin Roach’s 3 Play Bonanza
After sell out seasons around the world, Australia’s Gavin Roach is bringing not one, not two, but three of his one man shows to the New Zealand Fringe! Hold onto your hats and get prepared to experience Gavin Roach’s 3 Play Bonanza!
All at Bats Theatre, 9pm:
Confessions of a Grindr Addict: 6th-7th March
Any Womb Will Do: 8th-9th March
I Can’t Say the F Word: 10th-11th March
Any Womb Will Do
The loveable imp from Confessions of a Grindr Addict has returned. Older, wiser but still just as awkward. Written and performed by Gavin Roach, Any Womb Will Do is a hilarious, blunt, and at time heartbreaking insight into one of life’s big questions, “Where do babies come from when you don’t have a womb?”
“Gavin’s confident writing is matched with an assured, well paced performance.” – Stage Whispers
“Roach himself could charm anyone, and his impish stage persona makes the artificial construct of a theatrical narrative flow as naturally as any of Alan Bennett’s seminal talking heads.” – Fringe Journal
“In leaving cliché and tired presentation behind, Roach’s offering is a triumph in connecting an all-too-common experience with something far greater.” – Samesame
Venue: BATS Theatre1 Kent Terrace
Dates: 8th-9th March
Time: 9:00pm
Price: Full Price: $18.00 | Concession: $14.00 | Fringe Addict/Fringe Artist: $12.00 | Three Show Pass: $36.00
Tickets/info: Online: www.bats.co.nz or www.fringe.co.nz
Phone: (04) 802 4175
Theatre , Solo ,
Pondering the politics of parenthood
Review by John Smythe 09th Mar 2015
For those who saw Confessions of a Grindr Addict: same sofa, same teddy, different beanie; same bubbly, same burps … Yes this is Felix again, a bit older, less endearing: meaner; more self-centred. “If they’re not talking about me,” he says of the men he dates, “I just tune out.”
This sets up an interesting dramatic conflict. As the title, Any Womb Will Do, implies, he claims to be ready for parenthood. So as his monologue proceeds, we assess and reassess his readiness, judging him every step of the way. That’s what humans do.
Is he just a fantasist? Certainly it starts that way. Twin girls as cute accessories? P-lease. Then just as you think ‘no way’, he shares experiences concerning his brother’s progeny that suggest he would be a wonderful parent. He does have the capacity for unconditional love; the provider and protector genes. But can he cope with that depth of feeling? There’s the choice: carefree v unconditional commitment; superficial v profound; me first v someone else takes priority.
It’s not only personal, though. It’s political. A single gay man attempting to fulfil his procreating destiny in Australia … There’s anger here as well as anguish.
At just 35 minutes, Gavin Roach’s second of three monologues leaves us with plenty to ponder.
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