Take a trip on a Melbourne tram with Alice, but beware: her journey is littered with the remnants of a troubled year catalysed by a sexual assault Alice witnessed on a former colleague that has sent her career, confidence and vagina wandering. Written by Amelia Dunn and Tuia Suter, who respectively perform and direct the show, Alice’s commute to Centrelink reflects on each individual’s complicity in ongoing patriarchy.

There is something about mundanity, of stepping one foot in front of the other to the train I take every day and the familiar mechanical sounds while speeding up or shutting the doors, that frees the mind. Dunn and Suter’s use of the tram ride as a constant over which to lay a much more serious plot provides opportunity for humour and a familiarity that allows the audience to relate to a situation uniquely exaggerated to span both a record-breaking number of vagina-related puns and jokes, and the witnessing of a sexual assault and subsequent mental health and career crisis.

Dunn is a confident and captivating Alice. She transitions easily between dry observations of her fellow passengers, joyful recounts of better times, and moments of anxiety and sadness. Minimal choreographed movements transport us from the tram to a therapist’s office, a bar, into a chat group with her friends and the bookshop she’s working at and props are also used minimally, which makes the sparkly vagina hat she dons all the more striking. Costuming largely presents her as a regular woman, although the choice of a younger half-up-half-down hairstyle complete with ribbon didn’t mesh well with the mature nature of the show.

Direction by Suter carefully navigates the raucous sexual humour with the trauma depictions, gradually acclimating the cognitive dissonance Alice is experiencing in her futile pursuit to leave the past behind through superficially fun or silly escapades, and ensuring her come-to-Jesus moment is fittingly impactful. It’s jarring at times, but always human.

A compelling window into the damaging nature of the bystander effect, and a strong call to allyship.

GSM (Grenache, Shiraz, Mourvèdre) | Wine Pairing

GSM is a great option for those who want a bit of everything in every sip. The Grenache, slightly more red-fruit forward on the palate, is complimented by the darker berry notes and savoury characteristics of the Shiraz and Mourvèdre. Light and dark in every glass.

Tasting Notes

Season	11-23 August @ Edinburgh Fringe
Tickets	£10
Credits	Amelia Dunn (Performer, Co-Writer) Tuia Suter (Director, Co-Writer)
See it if you like	Fleabag
Wine Pairing	Thistledown 2023, The Unforgettable GSM, South Australia – Buy it for $24 here.