Theatre review: Cyst-er Act, Summerhall, Edinburgh

Cyst-er Act, Summerhall, Edinburgh * * *

It's how you might expect a show advertised as a 'delving into the blood realms of the womb' to start, however the way it continues is anything but predictable. Part ceremonial commemoration of a real life 10lb cyst 'baby' that creator and performer Catherine Hoffmann had removed, it's also a gospel and heavy metal inspired celebration of the wonders of women's bodies, as well as an avant-garde art performance, complete with 'ovarian cyst-er' backing singers wielding ducked faced smear test tools.

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It's both refreshing and surreal to see a 45-year-old women's reproductive health celebrated as one of the mysteries of life and the universe in this way. Hoffman, "hacked off" in more ways that one, takes great delight in the double meanings to disrupt social norms, with 'peri' as likely to be applied to the menopause, a (peri peri) chicken wrap and a rap of a more lyrical kind.

Primarily a provocative piece of work, rather than one that delves too deeply into the issues it touches upon, when the three performers sing "where she goes we will follow her", it's touching to see women of a variety of ages contemplate the future with reverence rather than fear.

Until 25 August

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