Our Journey from east to south London was a mission, the distance covered and the unpredictable nature of London transport was against us. Planes, Trains and Automobiles flashed through my mind as we ventured to the trains, Dalston overground was closed due to a stabbing outside Poundstretcher, we headed for the buses, we waited, no buses came, we got on one headed in a vaguely similar direction, it crawled, we got on a tube that was heading in the opposite direction which would allow us to eventually head in the right direction… I think you get the idea. After a huge amount of wrangling we arrived hot, flustered and just about intact for a performance ‘Trilogy’ at Battersea Arts Centre (BAC).
Inside I was immediately captivated by the venue, a grand staircase welcomes you in the main hall, producing a massive height above. Decorated with a aged grandeur, parcel tags hang in unison from the ceiling, grandma lamps and bonket seating furnish creating a relaxed homemade ambiance
The play in three parts begins with an introduction from the two main protagonists, part one culminates in 50 dancing naked ladies of all shapes and sizes, unfortunately not enough variations in colour but the contrast in jiggling parts gets the point across. We all have bodies to celebrate! Part two delves deeper focusing on an seminar of leading second wave feminists which took place in the early 70s, thoroughly entertaining it poses questions we may have forgotten about what it means to be a woman, where we fit in society, how far have we actually come. The final section aims to move forward in a proactive manner, offering suggestions towards a new movement, ‘herstory’ rewritten. There are dance interludes throughout which break up the seriousness of the content and of course continuous nudity.
The closing gift is an opportunity to the women of the audience to go naked on stage, perhaps a measurement of how successful the performance was. About 30 women rose to the occasion, myself being one of them. It was better to regret something I had done, than something I hadn’t. I feel a smile internally when I think back to the event, and revel at the power of nakedness.
