Review: WHAT THE HELL? THE HANDMAID'S TALE IN 2017 (PRESENTED BY MELBOURNE FESTIVAL AS PART OF THE WHEELER CENTRE'S FESTIVAL OF QUESTIONS) at Melbourne Town Hall

The final session in the day of the Festival of Questions, What the Hell? The Handmaid's Tale in 2017 was a wonderfully lively and important conversation produced in conjunction with The Guilty Feminist podcast.

Hosted by the incomparable Deborah Frances-White, the evening was jampacked with important messages around being a woman in 2017 and how terrifying it is that dystopian fiction from over 30 years ago is unfolding in our current affairs.

Joined by special guest co-host, Jamila Rizvi, the conversation kicked off with spirited discussion and startling statistics. Topics covered included reproductive rights and the horrific things Trump and his evil sidekick Mike Pence are trying to do to them, the impact of removing conversation around the role people of colour in the adaption of Margaret Attwood's text, and the all imposing question, what can we do to effect change?

Presented by the Wheeler's Centre, in conjunction with Melbourne Festival and the City of Melbourne, the audience left the session with a full heart and wide eyes. This reviewer also left the session and binge-listened to so many episodes of The Guilty Feminist.