A lot of productions at this year’s Fringe Festival have taken influence from the #MeToo movement, in which women all around the world came together to combat sexual assault. Isla van Tricht’s one-woman show, Tits ‘N’ Teeth is no exception, however cleverly doesn’t tackle the subject head on, but guides the audience on a tour through sexist microaggressions and the oppression that women feel everyday, accompanied by Karen, the voice inside Van Tricht’s character’s (Eve) head, which seems to voice the judgement unfairly thrown at women everyday by men and society in general about topics such as image, mental health and rape culture.
Rosa Crompton’s direction brought the piece more to life in several ways, for example the use of lighting to show change of setting, and how the character of Eve adapted so fluidly with the lights made the whole show feel a lot more seamless. However, parts of the show, like the use of laminated signs to show a change of location, and a shower curtain that is only really there as a makeshift changing room, seemed rather unnecessary and made the show feel slightly stilted at points.
That being said, Van Tricht’s portrayal of her character is near faultless, her brutal yet poetic honesty gives her such a charisma and charm, and a relatability to not just women, but anyone who’s ever felt a victim of objectification or sexual aggression.
What adds to the character’s likeability is her vulnerability and the trust she shows in the audience. We see her character development and we see her perform brave acts in public while she tells us how petrified she is. It’s a character that everyone sees part of themselves in.
This inspirational piece consists of about 6 separate stories all thematically similar but generally different and unique stories that I’ve not seen confronted in theatre before, all bound together with great flow and perfect balance between humour and darkness in both Van Tricht’s writing and delivery. If you’re looking for a great show about female-empowerment and self-acceptance this Fringe, this is definitely one for you. And if you’re not, I think you should still see Tits ‘N’ Teeth anyway.
