Despite the constant threats to a woman’s right to choose all over the globe, so many of us in the UK tend revert to the “but things are fine here, right?” response, including myself. Maybe. Hopefully? Yet despite abortions being available in most cases here, there is still very little discourse about them, and this became clearly apparent as I found myself shocked by the openness of All Aboard! At Termination Station. Through Lilly Burton’s comedy cabaret style featuring song, dance, character sketches, and personal monologues, she skilfully conveys the narrative experience of three abortions.
Oddly enough, having an abortion isn’t just a momentary in the otherwise peaceful stream of life. They are a fundamental part of the life experience of 1 in 3 women, the ratio that Burton continually reminds us, have had an abortion. Why, then, if there is hypothetically a huge network of those who can relate and support, does no one openly discuss abortions?
This is why Burton’s work is so important. In this triumphant show, she effortlessly eliminates all taboos regarding abortion.
In her collage structure and a multitude of performance styles, Burton explores pregnancy and abortions from various angles. Accompanied by bright, otherworldly sound and lighting, we are immersed into her womb, as Burton travels through and meets her embryos, hilariously represented by their size guide counterparts (a peach, a beer can etc…) and faces its ruthless estate agent, who refuses a termination of her pregnancy on the basis that she didn’t use protection. This fantastically executed moment is one of the more absurd of the performance, and it complements the more realistic elements nicely.
A beautiful sequence features an alternation between Burton at nineteen in the waiting room for her procedure, and her chaotic night out the evening before. This tumultuous disjunction is heightened through switches from warm to cold lighting and Burton’s energetic performance.
The most powerful element of the show, however, is the simplest and is left until last. All tricks and effects put to the side, Burton stands centre-stage and candidly pleads to the audience that having an abortion doesn’t mean she lacks love; it is out of love that women make this decision. With this beautifully stripped-back performance, Burton relegates all the fun and brashness of All Aboard! At Termination Station within seconds. Yet it is through such marked contrast that moments like this thrive.
