4 stars

College life at a prestigious university in the big city is wonderful and exciting. There are new lifelong friendships to form, wild college parties and their rituals, the drinking of lots of alcohol, lectures to perfunctorily attend, and gorgeous boys that may pay you some attention. This is Emily’s new life and she is embracing it with enthusiasm. Emily is rapidly learning to negotiate the cliques, embody the look and adopt the language. She makes hollow promises to her family that she will make regular visits to their country sheep farm home.

One event however makes Emily re-examine her university and residential colleges’ life. One night she drank a lot of alcohol. There was a party. She woke up in her room with a boy. She had blacked out. She is confused about what happened. As her thoughts
crystallise about the event she realises what it was and grapples with receiving justice and starting the healing process.

Writer and performer Josephine Gazard has constructed a thoughtful and powerful drama. There is great complexity in this drama and Josephine and director Suzanne Millar offer telling insights into the mighty and hedonistic life in university colleges.

There are little things such as the thrill of a boy noticing you. That needs to be balanced by you still trying to play it cool. There is the pride of owning the college jumper but knowing it is gauche to wear it all the time.

The harrowing and confronting subject matter occurs later in the play and has been carefully and astutely realised. The portrayal of the loss of joy in her life after the sexual assault, the deterioration of her self-belief and her feelings of worthlessness is profoundly written and performed. Emily receives strong support from some people and organisations but some establishments in the system have entrenched biases.

THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID is a powerful monologue. The writing is impressive and the performance is compelling. It is a high quality drama that examines rape culture
and sexual assault on our college campuses and begs the question: if 200 sexual assaults are occurring every week at Australian universities, what exactly are we doing about it? One hopes the play will be seen by many young adults in universities.

THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID is highly recommended and performing until 29th May 2023 at KXT on Broadway in
The Vault. KXT on Broadway is the new venue for the Kings Cross Theatre. It is a redesigned heritage building where KXT will be programming their innovative productions.

The crew comprises Producer – Emily Buxton, Lighting Designer – Aron Murray, Sound Designer – Rose Mulcare and Stage Manager – Charlie Vaux.

Production photography by Christopher Starnawski

Review by Mark Pigott