Theatre review: Have I Told You I'm Writing a Play About My Vagina?, Paradise in Augustine's, Edinburgh

Hiding behind one of those titles which suggests it may be trying a little too hard to be noticed in the Fringe programme is a two-handed play which is smart, funny and devoted to the exploration of its subject with an open-hearted grace which tangibly has the whole room warming to it as the action progresses.
Have I Told You Im Writing a Play About My Vagina?, Paradise in Augustines 
(Venue 152)Have I Told You Im Writing a Play About My Vagina?, Paradise in Augustines 
(Venue 152)
Have I Told You Im Writing a Play About My Vagina?, Paradise in Augustines (Venue 152)

Have I Told You I'm Writing a Play About My Vagina?, Paradise in Augustine's, Edinburgh * * *

It tells of Bea, played by Christelle Elwin, who suffers from vaginismus, a condition which might be described as a fear of penetration, leading to an involuntary tightening of the vagina and a difficulty in having sex.

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For Bea, a young woman who has just started university and is keen to explore her sexuality, albeit with men she might not know, the condition seems impossible to overcome, and leads her to believe she may never be able to get married or have children. Instead she makes a habit of snatched moments of intimacy in nightclubs, and then disappearing.

Fortunately Bea’s best friend is alongside her all the way; her own personified vagina itself, played by Lottie Amor in a pink tutu, who narrates in an amusing internal monologue (on Bea’s first crush Josh coming to stay, for example: “she’s had a haircut, I’ve had a haircut…”).

Until 25 August

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