Review: UGLY SISTERS, New Diorama Theatre

If anyone knows me, they know how much I dislike the rain. I’ll avoid it all costs. Last night, I walked out of the New Diorama Theatre and into the pouring rain. I was so enthralled by the theatre I had experienced in the previous hour that I didn’t even notice I was soaked. It was a testament to the raw, visceral, and shattering production of Ugly Sisters, fresh from its run in Edinburgh. I was completely transported. 

I’ve heard about piss / CARNATION’s work before – and have often been told about their standing as the future of theatre. It’s now hard to disagree with this statement. In short, Ugly Sisters is a commentary on trans and feminist politics, using Germaine Greer’s transphobic ‘feminist’ literature as a lens through which to do so.  However, it fractures every box you could try to put this show into. In single lines, it explores detailed complexities of the female experience and in just looks, the performers convey years of lived joy and pain. 

Through dance, dialogue, movement, and even audience participation we are invited into the coming-of-age experiences of trans youth. We learn of the non-linear and constantly challenging battles they face in our society, which tries to restrain them at each hurdle. However, we also learn of their joy, their sexuality, their sensuality, and their dreams. This is where Ugly Sisters soars. The effortless blend in its dialogue of sharply aware comedy and painful yet beautiful reflection is truly golden. I was bent over laughing in one moment and clutching my chest in the next. 

Ugly Sisters is a beastly machine, and the talents of its operators are obvious. Naissa Bjørn’s movement is sensational. Notably towards the end, it conveys worlds of truth in glances, steps, and beats. Joanna Pidcock’s direction is thoughtful and demanding. At the helm, writer and performer duo Laurie Ward and Charli Cowgill are truly exceptional. There’s a chunk of text where they discuss how important our language is, and if it is important at all. I too feel conflicted. No words can convey how inspired I am by Ward and Cowgill’s talent and storytelling. However, their language – through their words, when their bodies connect or when they disconnect – is vital. 

Some people have a gripe with audience participation, especially with pieces as intense as this. However, there is a moment where an audience member is plaiting Cowgill’s hair that will stay with me for a very long time. We are reminded of the urgency of our togetherness, and how it is our responsibility to create a society better than the one we grew up in. The team behind Ugly Sisters is well on their way to doing so. 

I’m still not sure I’ve completely digested Ugly Sisters – maybe I never will. What I do know, however, is this: It is a show our families need. It is a show our industry needs. It is a show our country needs. Thank you, Laurie Ward and Charli Cowgill, I feel a little more confident in our future. 

Ugly Sisters runs at the New Diorama theatre until 20 September. 

Photo Credit: Michael Aiden 

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