Relationships Among People of Different Countries

This monologue aims to explore a wide range of issues concerning relationships

among people who come from different countries, as well as focusing on the

difficulties that foreign women encounter in a fast paced city like London.

A feminist interpretation of the text is necessary to understand how this work has

taken shape and developed.

As Heddon puts it “It is with the intersection between feminism, autobiography and

performance that i want to begin this study” (Heddon, 2008, pp 21).

I opted for the stand-up comedy format soon after I was introduced to the world of

feminist solo performance and Bridget Christie in particular.

To some extent, Christie’s work appears to be quite similar to mine: a

tendency to indulge into self-mocking and self-congratulatory patterns recurs in the

majority of her performances, but especially in the latest show “A bic for her”.

Her clownish mannerism, combined with an overly committed attack on sexism

have greatly inspired my composition and the staging of it.

There is one key difference between Christie’s production and this monologue; that

is my study doesn’t intend to serve any particular political purpose.

Nonetheless, it is my aim to incorporate life experiences into a coherent and

entertaining comedy piece that is able to raise awareness on the extent of problems

that women have to face on a daily basis.

In Utopia in Performance, Jill Dolan (2005) highlights the visceral sense of community and social connection that people experience when they attend

a show or when they watch a play.

The same feeling i would like to re-create on stage with my performance, because i

believe that although my writing is extremely personable, there are some elements

which...

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...ercome negative experiences is to find the humour within.

Being able to laugh about such delicate matters, helps dispelling even the most

unsuitable feelings.

My final thoughts go to this great country and especially to the city of London which

has taught me that the real challenge is to learn and experience as much as I can

but still manage to preserve my uniqueness as an individual, and my dignity

as a human being.

The goal is to absorb without being absorbed.

Works Cited

Merson,S (2004) Your Name Here: An Actor and Writers Guide to Solo Performance. Star Publish.

Heddon, D (2008) Politics (of self). In: Autobiography in Performance. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 20-31

Dolan, J (2005) Utopia in performance: finding hope at the theatre. The university of Michigan press.

Christie, B (2013) A bic for her. [ Soho Theatre, London, 6th december 2013]