Review: ADVENTURES OF YONI 1 & YONI 2 was Simply Euphoric at Butterfly Club

One was a vagina. The other one was a vagina. Can I make it any more obvious?

The Adventures of Yoni 1 & Yoni 2 was exactly what it promised to be: a fun, light-hearted and spirited escape from reality watching two vaginas fall in love. Being a cisgender white-passing male I approached this safe space with caution but found the production to be a blissful and relatable journey.

In the respective roles of Yoni 1 and 2, Shamita Sivabalan brought raw energy and polish, and Emma Jevons had a great sense of physical comedy. Their chemistry was clear and jubilant, each individually bringing a character that combined jubilantly. The direction of Simone French seemed to play to the strengths of the performers, and wove in the devices of storytelling that gave Adventures a multicultural integrity. It was important that the Bollywood elements were genuine, and between writer Zoe Brinnand's passion for diversity in performance and the respectful exuberance with which the performers took to the piece, it proved a great entertainment.

The Adventures of Yoni 1 & Yoni 2 is a work that for its purity and intent, hopefully gets the chance to develop. Attracting more original music and higher production values will connect Adventures to wider audiences, which is absolutely a good thing. The content is strong, and the strength of the slapstick and mime made the time fly by.

Where many LGBT theatremakers fall prey to the temptation to validate queer stories with trauma or drama, Adventures is a breath of fresh air.

Tickets available here.

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