Bryony Kimmings, the groundbreaking solo artist who famously traced her own sexual history on stage in pursuit of an STI’s origin, is back with her first new show in nearly a decade, I’m A Phoenix, Bitch.
The provocatively-titled piece of “theatre-cum-social experiment” references the apt choice of venue for its premiere, the Battersea Arts Centre, which reopens this season following a devastating fire in 2015 – and which burnt down at the precise time Kimmings discovered she was pregnant with her son. She subsequently suffered postnatal depression, the breakdown of her relationship (she is now a single mum) and caring for a very sick child, which led her to make a show about “how women deal with trauma”, and what it means to rebuild yourself after tragedy.
The show promises to interweave Kimmings’ trademark humour, use of multimedia and surreal song-and-dance – she is most famous for her controversial musical The Pacifist’s Guide to the War on Cancer at The National Theatre. Previous shows include 2010’s Sex Idiot, Fake it Til You Make it, exploring male depression with her then-boyfriend, and 2015’s Credible Likeable Superstar Role Model, which tried to create an alternative pop star to counter celebrity pop culture alongside Bryony’s 9-year-old niece, and which played one of its last ever performances at Brighton Dome’s Studio Theatre to critical acclaim.
The show runs 3 – 20 October 2018 at Battersea Arts Centre, London.
Further information and tickets: https://www.bac.org.uk/content/44913/whats_on/whats_on/shows/im_a_phoenix_bitch
