British performer and theatre-maker Bryony Kimmings isn’t one to shy away from a difficult topic. After all, her previous works include Sex Idiot, in which she traces an STI back through her romantic history to its source; and pop-rock musical A Pacifist’s Guide to the War on Cancer. Her latest piece, co-commissioned by Arts Centre Melbourne, confronts another taboo issue: postnatal depression, something that Kimmings is intimately acquainted with.
In 2016, Kimmings suffered through postnatal breakdowns while dealing with a seriously ill child and an imploding relationship. It was a year that nearly buried her, and formed the basis of her current one-woman show, I’m a Phoenix, Bitch.
“My hope with this show is to give the almost unspeakable traumas associated with postnatal depression and an ill child a voice. I wanted to create a show that cuts to the heart of these things but does it in a way that people can relate to, a way that we can still laugh and have fun,” says Kimmings.
The show combines deeply personal storytelling with film and original pop songs to explore themes of motherhood and trauma – and also, importantly, female strength and resilience. By reclaiming the narrative around postnatal mental health, Kimmings asks audiences to reckon with something we would rather not think about, and also to acknowledge the fierceness of women who can go through hell-on-earth and somehow find a way to turn that pain into power.
Catch the Australian premiere of this extremely contemporary and deliciously provocative show at Arts Centre Melbourne from September 11-15. Tickets are on sale now.