Visit Edinburgh during August and you can expect two things: rain and people. Lots and lots of people.
The city during festival time takes on a completely different buzz to the rest of the year. The hotels are full, the bars are overflowing and a full face of glitter paired with a set of stilts is appropriate attire at any time of the day.
If, like me, you struggle to narrow down the seemingly never-ending list of shows into a short list of things you’d actually like to see, I’m here to help. This year I’ve seen a handful of shows and exhibitions that I think will be of interest to those of you of the feminist persuasion. Keep reading for my top picks.
The Rebirth of Meadow Rain *
13:00 on various dates until 26th August. £11/£10 concessions.
(Content warning: this show features domestic abuse and sexual violence)
Described as “a funny, touching and visceral piece which seeks to change perceptions of emotional abuse and what a victim can look like”, this one-woman show blew me away. From the grand romantic gestures of an early relationship, to the insidious ways that an abuser will try to cut a woman off from her friends and family, this show hit the nail on the head when it comes to coercive control.
What made this particular show stand out to me was the elements of audience participation. The excellent writer and performer Hannah Moss has clearly given sincere thought to the ways that we perceive victims and perpetrators, and she goes out of her way to challenge that. She puts the audience in the shoes of the abuser, and in the role of concerned friends. She asks for feedback on what we think the abuser is like and asks “what do you think I should do?”. The show also accurately sets out the kind of escalation that can sometimes take place when a woman tries to leave, spelling out as clearly as it can the answer to that age-old question “why doesn’t she just leave?”.
Moving, intimate and expertly performed, I think this one will leave anyone who sees it with a better understanding of what coercive control looks like.
Shattered *
14:45 on various dates until 26th August. £10/£9 concessions.
(Content warning: this show features sexual violence, self-harm and discussion of suicide)
A second one-woman show, this time looking at rape and sexual violence. The autobiographical story is told through the internal voices and personified feelings of the protagonist – writer and actor Diana Varco’s Sense of Security, Innocence, Panic, Guilt, Shame, Love and so on all have individual personalities that Diana brings to life.
These ‘characters’ explain how Sense of Security was killed when Diana was raped on a night out and how Innocence was lost one day as a child when a man in a van decided to follow Diana and her friend. Shame and Guilt get frequent outings, trying to tell Diana that the violence that has happened to her throughout her life has been her fault. That she was raped because of what she was wearing, or what she’d drank. Or that when boys coerced her as a child to take photos of her genitals that she had in fact done something wrong, or that when she reacted in panic to rape ‘jokes’ there was something wrong with that reaction.
The show comes down very clearly to say that none of what has happened to Diana has been her fault. That none of these many sexual violences that are carried out against girls and women are the fault of those they happen to. It deftly explores the many parts of us that suffer because of violence against women: the impact on confidence, on safety, on relationships and on sex.
But it also explores healing. Diana explains the the many ways she’s found those parts of herself again that she thought were gone forever and so the show ends on an uplifting note, despite its incredibly difficult subject matter.
Scottish Feminist Judgements: Reimagining the Law from the Outside In
9-5pm every day until 26th August. Free entry.
(Content warning: the exhibition examines violence against women)
The Scottish Feminist Judgements Project is part of a global series that aims to imagine how important legal cases might have been decided differently if the judge had adopted a feminist perspective. The project brings together legal academics, practising lawyers, judges, artistic contributors and representatives from the third sector (including us here at Scottish Women’s Aid), to think about how laws can be made and applied in a more gender equitable way.
Though small and perhaps a little difficult to find, this exhibition is definitely worth checking out. It shows, in incredibly moving ways, the devastating human cost of legal judgements – particularly when it comes to violence against women.
For me, the most impactful piece was a series of ‘found poems’ – created from the language used in the original judgement in a case where a man murdered his ex-partner.
Faultlines *
16:30 every day until 17th August. £9/£8 OAP and students.
(Content warning: the show features depictions of domestic abuse)
Who better to explain how domestic abuse impacts on people than survivors who have experienced it themselves? This show is made up of first-hand accounts from survivors and the production worked with women and children who had been in refuge to share the stories that they wanted to.
A few different stories are featured here in a simple yet effective production that makes use of storytelling, song and movement to demonstrate the various forms domestic abuse can take and the impact it can have.
The most powerful element of this show to me was the way it clearly sets out the impact that domestic abuse has on children. Scotland’s ground-breaking new domestic abuse law, for the first time, puts children on the face of domestic abuse legislation. We at Scottish Women’s Aid campaigned hard for this because we know that children are not just witnesses to domestic abuse, they’re victims too. One of the more moving elements of this performance captured that perfectly, with parts of the script taken from the first-hand account of a child setting out how they would hide in the cupboard under the stairs when their father started to abuse their mother, keeping 999 up on their phone so they could call the police if “things got too scary”. The same child described their mother as a “superhero”, who managed to put on different faces to different people in order to keep her secret – that every night she was going up against the bad guy.
The real-life stories of women and children set out in this show leave the audience with no space to doubt the cruel and intentional ways that abusers hurt women and children.
Ashley Storrie – Hysterical
17:30 every day until 25th August. Free entry (queue up early, she’s popular).
(Content warning: this show features discussion of sexual violence)
Why is it that it’s only ever women who are called ‘hysterical’? This is the question Ashley Storrie explores during her one-hour comedy set that had me laughing from start to finish. She touches on mental health, coping mechanisms and sexual violence. Ashley sets out the many ways we as women are forced to make horrific choices about our safety every day, and she manages to do so with a sense of humour that brings truth to the expression “laughter is the best medicine”. Plus, in one of the most expensive festivals in the world, it’s great to see some content that is financially accessible to everyone.
Rachel Fairburn – The People’s Princess
21:35 every day until 25th August. £10.50/£9.50 concessions.
You might think that a comedy set that is wrapped up in a story of how one woman reacted when a man spat on her face during sex with no thought or concern for how that might make her feel would not be very funny. However, in her stellar hour Rachel Fairburn had me laughing so much my sides hurt. She gives her take on ageism, gender dynamics, beauty ideals, class differences and privilege, all with the type of wit that makes you wish the set was twice as long. Add her to your ‘must-see’ list – you won’t regret it.
So, there’s a brief round-up of a few things I’ve seen this festival season that will get you thinking with regards to gender inequality and violence against women. If you see any of these, please do let us know what you think. Happy Festival-ing!
Megan Gordon, External Affairs Officer at Scottish Women’s Aid
If any of the subject matter in these shows concerns you, there is help available. Scotland’s Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline is available 24/7 on 0800 027 1234 to offer support to anyone experiencing domestic abuse or forced marriage, or those concerned about someone else. Rape Crisis Scotland’s Helpline is available between 6pm and midnight everyday on 08088 01 03 02 to offer support to anyone who has been raped or sexually abused, or to those supporting someone else who has.
* Please note – we were very kindly gifted a ticket to this performance by the production. However, the thoughts set out here are our honest opinions.
