Congratulations to Zoë Jensen, the creator and performer of this powerful gem. She’s a terrific singer. She has a powerful speaking voice. She has a commanding stage presence. She and musician Michael McStay (her husband in real life), together with director Olivia Charalambous have created a razor-sharp satire about the fears of young women. Zoë stands at the microphone, speaking and singing the story of a young aspiring actor who is rejected at auditions. The casting agents tell her that she has no killer instinct. She just hasn’t got what it takes to make it in the world of theatre. To her, the men have the power, and she is powerless. But why? She was always Been warned, ‘Don’t walk through a park alone. “In other words, “Be afraid, Zoe. There are bad men out to get young women.”
Sadly, this has always been the message, and it is certainly evident today in Sydney. We recently saw headlines that shouted, “Like wild dogs, horrific gang rape charges shock Sydney” and “Students from two of Sydney’s top private schools have been charged with sexual assault.”
How does the play turn this perennial truth of women’s fear into a fun hour of satire, with belly laughs from the audience? Because Zoë Jensen is a brilliant virtuoso performer. Because Travis Hennessy’s original score is loaded with Kurt Weil nuances and vaudeville humour. Because Michael McStay’s accompaniment on the electric piano perfectly complements Zoe’s performance.
How does Zoë find a killer instinct? She kills a man. She feels powerful. She starts getting good acting gigs. She kills again. She’s even more powerful. She becomes famous! She’s not afraid anymore. Does she keep killing? What happens when she finally meets a gentle man who isn’t a predator male, who is as afraid as she once was? Sadly, you’re not going to find out because the play has already closed. It was only at the Old Fitz from August 25 to 30.
Still you can head down to the Junction Arts Festival in Launceston to see it (18 – 19 September), or to Melbourne at Melbourne Fringe (5 – 11 October). Don’t miss this one-womanpowerhouse!
The producer is the Melbourne theatre collective Primitive Streak.
