It felt just right to see American playwright Eve Ensler’s classic play THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES,  in the same week that Michelle Payne became the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup, Australia’s premier horse racing event. After winning the Cup Michelle Payne announced that ‘women can do anything’, the very sentiments that Ensler’s  ground-breaking play espouses.

Esner’s play, first performed back 1996 in the basement of the Cornelia Street Cafe in the legendary New York arts precinct, Greenwich Village, has had a huge sphere of influence. The play has gone on to be translated into 48 languages and has been performed in over 140 countries.

The play’s bookends see the play open with group of ten actresses  coming out onto the stage carrying placards celebrating female sexuality and ends with a woman describing, in intimate detail, the birth of her latest grandchild. Through the monologues Ensler covers different aspects of the feminine experience including sex, love, sexual assault especially in wartime, and masturbation.

Lane Cove Theatre Company’s current revival won me with the uncompromising, unpretentious, rough and ready, committed spirit in which this piece was performed.  The director chose to cast women of very varied shapes, sizes and looks, very much in simpatico with Ensler’s play.

There was clearly a mixed range in the level of experience among the performers. Some of the performers have spent much of their time at the Company working behind the scenes and it is a huge leap to suddenly be performing  on stage. This does show, however their enthusiasm and big hearts more than  make up for their lack of stage finesse.

A couple of show highlights…Belinda Humphries wonderful comic turn, with many different, hysterical versions/renditions of the female orgasm in the monologue The Woman Who Loved To Make Vaginas Happy, and transgender performer JoAnna Ferrari’s very poignant delivery of the monologue, They Beat The Girl Out Of Me.

Director Megan Spindler’s staging is simple and effective. The performers make full use of the wide stage…Each monologue delivered is prefaced with a brief introduction by another cast member from the back of the stage.

The set design is simple but still effective. A black curtain spreads itself along the back wall. The set is bare apart from a ‘statue’ of large V which has been garlanded with flowers.  The  V refers to V-Day, the 14th February, started by a global activist movement, begun in 1998, with its aim to end violence against women and girls. V-Day was inspired by Ensler’s play. The playwright herself was a sufferer of incest and abuse.

Few plays over the years have had the impact and influence of Esner’s seminal work. If you haven’t seen this play yet, try and get to see it. Lane Cove Theatre Company’s current revival of THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES is playing the Northside Baptist Church, 63 Willoughby Road, Crows Nest. The final two performances are this Wednesday 11th November at 7.30pm and this Friday 13th November at 7.30pm. Tickets are only $25 adult and $20 concession. Bookings- www.trybooking.com/JAMW

Cast-  Lauren McNaught, Lilli Toll, Portia Prednay, Kelly McGowan, Sasha Murray, Nicole Smith, Kathryn Thomas, JoAnna Ferrari, Belinda Humphries and Rose Edwards.

Crew-Director- Megan Spindler, Production Manager- Emily Patterson, Stage Managers- Gary Black, Natasha Morrow, Lighting and Sound Design- Megan Spindler, Lighting Operation- Sophie Parker, Sound Operation- Christian Maltby, Make-Up and Hair- Megan Spindler.