They are all here – the stereotypes of the modern woman. And one single actress performs them all: Meryl Davenport; The eternally stressed mother. Tiggy Entwhistle; A woman who attempts to get back on her feet after an ended relationship. Mary O’Donnell; An optimistic teenage girl who participates in a talent show. Theresa McTerry; The increasingly disillusioned bride on her wedding day. Winsome Webster; The widow with an appetite for the unexpected. Zoe Struthers; An American cabaret singer with a heavy portion of personal issues. These touching and tragicomic monologues have been popular in Edinburgh, London’s West End and Canada since it premiered in Melbourne, 2001.
Extracts from the Edinburgh 2004 reviews: “A remarkable tour de force!” – The Age / “You must see this” – Sunday Herald Sun / “These […] unconnected monologues, each revealing a probable stage in the life of a modern woman, are most amazing […] The monologues themselves sparkle with truthful observations; the laugher of the audience indicating that many women were identifying whole-heartedly with the figure on stage, but also that the men, too, understood.’ ***** – Fest / “I saw myself, my best friend, my mother and my grandmother, and laughed through every minute of it.’ **** – The Scotsman / “The story of the guilt-ridden woman who knows she can never be a good enough mother is beautifully judged in its mixture of comedy and depression. There is a similar balancing act in the tale of the elderly widow whose armour of loneliness is unexpectedly pierced. It’s enough to give you back your faith in the one-woman show.” **** – The Guardian / “This show has it all – a truly talented star plus an exquisitely crafted script. This show, like so many of life’s greatest experiences, peaks and climaxes in all the right places, and indeed, more than once.” – Three Weeks
