Places where you don’t necessarily expect the topic of menstruation: on a podium during a dance or theater performance. We’ve put two of them in the spotlight: RED from Australian Liz Lea and Pink Portal from Finnish/Dutch Cecilia Moisio.
Liz Lea: RED
Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the bold sister of The Edinburgh International Festival, stands for three amazing weeks of theatre, music, comedy and… dance performances in the historical center of (yep) Edinburgh in Scotland; in the middle of summer. One of the must-see shows during this festival – we think, although we are a bit biased at Period! of course – is RED by Australian dancer, performer and choreographer Liz Lea.
In this performance, Australian Dance Award Finalist 2019 Liz Lea explores her journey and experiences with endometriosis. In other words: 20 years of dancing on international stages while neglecting her body’s needs, warnings and other red flags. Eventually, this led to Lea needing a bowel reconstruction. RED is a one-woman show created in collaboration with other artists, about trial and error. Glamorous and theatrical with beautiful outfits from Bruce Scott, fierce and with the right dose of humour and self-mockery.
We quote from the Fringe programme booklet, that has labelled the show as Dance, Physical Theatre and Circus (Cabaret/Comedy): ‘Red is fearless, Red is fierce, Red is powerful – a one-woman dance theatre work with a hint of fun and fabulousness. You will laugh, you’ll cry, you won’t forget. A poignant, riotous, glamorous and ultimately triumphant exploration of one woman’s story – an exquisite exploration of female endurance. Described as unforgettable, shattering and hilarious, Red is a soul-baring retelling of one woman’s journey through illness and recovery with an eye to the future. Honest, face-to-face dialogue with the audience, balanced with beautifully framed film and movement.’ Watch the trailer here.
Edinburgh Festival Fringe, 5-29 Augustus 2022. Performances from Lea 16 – 28 August 2022. More information and tickets via Fringe.
Cecilia Moisio: Pink Portal
Pink Portal, the new evening length theater show by choreographer, dancer and theatre maker Cecilia Moisio, premiered at Julidans in Amsterdam (the Netherlands) on the 11th July. It’s a tribute to where we all came from: the vulva or ‘pink portal’. The result is an informative, funny, but evenly emotional performance about the female body. From first menstruation, pregnancy and giving birth to menopause.
Cecilia Moisio conducted the research via laboratories and interviews with women of different ages and backgrounds. These stories are interwoven anonymously into this new theatre performance. In this short video from Paul Sixta, Moisio explaines her goals.
Moisio is from Finland, but she’s been living in the Netherlands since 1997. Her more than 28 female themed works have been performed in over 16 countries. Her dance movie SHE/HER has won awards at the Chicago Feminist Film Festival, the Dance Film Festival in Budapest and Stories We Dance festival in Genoa, Italy.
Performers in Pink Portal are Katarzyna Sitarz, Yulia Kalinchenko, Gwen Langenberg, Kadri Tegelmann, Daria Titova, Bianca Casaburi, Renee Hijl and Fee-Lise Verbon. Costumes are by Dorine van IJsseldijk. You can see Pink Portal in the Netherlands from November 25, 2022 (in Eindhoven) until March 25, 2023 (in Nijmegen). Check out all the dates and places via the calendar. There are more dates and places to come!
Period! is an independent, online magazine about all aspects of menstruation. Period! is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. If you’re suffering from medical complaints, always visit your doctor or GP. Editorial articles can contain affiliate links. Sponsored collaborations can be found in the category Spotlight. Do you have any questions? Check our Contact page.
Also read:
Period Podcast Selection
Movies about menstruation
Period Playlist
28 Bloody good books
Menstruation in advertisements
Or check our art category
