'She's off her trolley. Nuttier than a fruitcake. A couple of kangaroos loose in the top paddock.' Women have long been locked up, pathologised and silenced by a simple label – crazy. Batshit is a wildly theatrical and deeply intimate story of female madness. Created by psycho-siren Leah Shelton and directed by Olivier award-winning Ursula Martinez, this is a requiem for Leah's grandmother Gwen, who was incarcerated for seeking independence in 1960s Australia. Batshit draws on personal stories, pop psychology and Prozac-laden humour to explore the myths that keep us compliant and the systems that let us down.
One of the most anticipated shows coming to this year's TravFest, Leah Shelton gave Corr Blimey an insight into BATSHIT ahead of its run at the Traverse Theatre
Would you mind giving us a brief insight into what your show is?
BATSHIT dissects the lies we are told about female madness. It's inspired by the story of my Grandmother Gwen, who was incarcerated in a mental institution and given a cocktail of drugs and shock treatment in 1960s Australia - basically for wanting to leave her husband.
Fiercely feminist, the show is an exploration of how gender is weaponised to discredit women by painting us as delusional, unreliable, hysterical and - my favourite - hormonal. And I do love a bit of theatricality, so of course there's also some fashion-glam-horror, fake limbs, pop psychology and prozac-laden humour.
Tell us about the creative team and the process involved?
BATSHIT was directed by acclaimed UK performance artist Ursula Martinez. Ursula is like the "guru" of autobiographical performance, so this created a safe space for us to go deep, vulnerable and real (a scary place for me!). Because the show is so personal, I also invited my Mum into the creative process, so you'll hear her voice, memories and storytelling in the show as well. The rest of my team is also a roll call of killer artists - Grace Uther and Freddy Komp masterminded the video, live feed and projection design; Kenneth Lyons has created an intricate and immersive sound design; and we also have an epic lighting design by Jason Glenwright which involves 15 individually programmed hanging light fixtures that create an alienating fluorescent hospital waiting room environment followed by a multitude of reveals and extravagant strobe moments.
How does it feel coming to the Fringe?
The last time I was at Edinburgh Fringe was 2019, and this is the first time I'm coming with a show. Coming all the way from Australia makes it an epic undertaking, so it's a pretty big deal for me to be part of the program. I'm equal parts terrified and excited, so advice to myself at this stage is "just keep going" and "hold your shit together"!
There are over 3,000 shows at the Fringe. So, what sets your show apart?
This show has had an incredible response from audiences in Australia - people are really moved, empowered and enraged at the end of the show and I think UK audiences will be the same. It's both intimate storytelling and a cathartic feminist scream against the systems that let us down - wrapped up in a visually stunning, entertaining, and darkly funny straitjacket of theatrical magic.
Is there anything specific you're hoping the audience will take away?
It's my hope this work creates a space to share stories and conversations that unite, agitate, and provoke social change. So, whether it's feeling seen, or feeling enraged, for me the power of theatre is about finding ways to make sense of how we can live better in this world.
It's an intense month, so where you're able, how do you plan to relax, and are there any other shows you intend to see or wann to recommend?
I'm eying off a few places with steam rooms / massage / saunas and feeling like a weekly self-care session might be the way to go. And yes of course I want to go see as many shows as I can manage! A few top picks include Sh!t Theatre - "Or What's Left of Us" - (which is also Directed by Ursula Martinez); "Little Squirt" by Darby James; and "Of the Land On Which We Meet" by First Nations-led Australian circus company Na Djinang. And the Traverse program looks incredible - I definitely want to see "Cyrano" by Virginia Gay, "My English Persian Kitchen" by Hannah Khalil and "Same Team", created with the women of Street Soccer Scotland.
Interested in being featured on our Have a Gander page? With many previews and Q&As lined up, we're always happy to chat about including your show in future articles. Please do get in touch through the contact page to feature in an upcoming 'Have A Gander'
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