A celebration of female desire, a provocation, and an invitation.
Why would a confident, 21st century woman feel inadequate when talking to her partner about sex? Join us on an epic journey of self-discovery through the garden of her sexuality to find out. Featuring really helpful ideas planted during adolescence, such as: 'Only Boys Masturbate', 'You Are A Sex Object', and 'Female Genitals are Gross'. This is a story of self-love, encompassing shame, pride, fury and liberation. Revealed is the hidden battle between Brain and Clitoris; Appetite and Ego; shame-free sensuality and the desperate need to be ‘normal’, which everyone will recognise, regardless of gender.
Combining storytelling, dance and comedy, Rejoicing at Her Wondrous Vulva The Young Woman Applauded Herself is as entertaining as it is searingly honest. Celebrate with us, laugh with us, reassess your own experiences and join a conversation that desperately needs to be had.
An All About You production, supported by Arts Council England and the Peggy Ramsay Foundation, the play was commissioned by Ovalhouse, and had its premiere in their downstairs theatre in 2019.
‘Rejoicing at Her Wondrous Vulva The Young Woman Applauded Herself’ is available for booking.
‘You Are A Fucking Lioness’
The final poem from the play, Rejoicing at Her Wondrous Vulva The Young Woman Applauded Herself, written by Bella Heesom, and read by the wonderful actor Paola Dionisotti, is here for your listening pleasure.
‘bold and poetic…
exposes the insidious double standards of socially engineered female sexuality that requires women to guard their virginity but also give it up, when required… to be embarrassed to admit to masturbation but also to perform lust and readiness for men.
Heesom peels away the layers of this conditioning to show what sexual authenticity lies beneath’
– ★★★★ the guardian
“Like the sex education class you never had but always wanted”
“A powerful statement on what it means to grow up, as a female, today… Heesom’s writing glows”
★★★★ ‘surrealism and comedy intertwine to produce a beguiling piece of theatre’ - Daily Express
★★★★ ‘Leave your prudishness at the door, and expect Waller-Bridgean breaches of taboo’ – Culture Whisper
★★★★ ‘an exciting work that needs to be seen by men and women alike’ – Upper Circle
★★★★ ‘fizzes with comic chemistry… universally uplifting…. no matter who you are you'd have to have a heart of stone not to feel a rush of emotions at the show's remarkable climactic scenes.’ – London City Nights
★★★★★ ‘will no doubt provide every viewer with a new perspective on the world’ – Spy In The Stalls
★★★★★ ‘evocative and challenging.’ – Within Her Words
“A brave piece of work, and an excellent evening’s entertainment”
“Heesom and Alexander both give award-standard performances”
★★★★★ ‘There’s bravery and daring in this piece. It takes courage to put this much questing vulnerability into a performance, but it pays off by resonating with, I imagine, every woman in its audience.’ – Emily Jupp
★★★★ ‘Heesom and Alexander are wonderful to watch. They have an admirable chemistry’ – A Younger Theatre
★★★★★ – Breaking the Fourth Wall
OFFIE nomination for Sara Alexander – Best Female in a Supporting Role by Offwestend.com
Cast & Creative
Ego/Brain/Writer - Bella Heesom
Appetite/Clitoris/Actor - Sara Alexander
Writer & Executive Producer – Bella Heesom
Director & Dramaturg - Donnacadh O’Briain
Movement Director - Liz Ranken
Set, Costume, Scenic Art & Projection Design - Elizabeth Harper
Lighting Design - Jess Bernberg
Sound Design - Candice Weaver
Producer - Hannah Elsy
Production Manager & Video Design - Timothy Kelly
Technical Stage Manager - Maria Gurevich
Assistant Director - Martha J. Baldwin
BSL Interpreter – Jacqui Beckford
Photos by David Monteith-Hodge