Parakeet with Brigitte Aphrodite & Michelle Tiwo

Matilda Ibini is a playwright and screen-writer from East London. She is the writer of Little Miss Burden, a five-star-reviewed coming-of-age tale that smashes together 90s nostalgia, Nigerian family, East London and Sailor Moon to tell the sometimes tricky, often funny truth about growing up with a physical impairment. 

Matilda also recently worked as dramaturg on Eve Leigh’s Midnight Movie, a new play exploring what it is like to have a digital body, when your physical body is always glitching and letting you down.

Little Miss Burden is at The Bunker until Dec 21

Midnight Movie is at The Royal Court until Dec 21

Matilda’s #FeministFaves were Triple Cripples podcast 

Crutchesandspice.com by American activist Imani Barbarin 

Jillian Macardo - model and actor (currently in the new series of The L Word) 

Kelechi Okafor - actor, pole/twerking teacher and her podcast Say Your Mind

Danielle Dash - writer and TV executive.

Pippa’s #FeministFaves were YouTubers - Jessica Kellgren-Fozard &

Molly Burke. 

Beth’s #FeministFave was the podcast Dolly Parton’s America.

More recommendations...

The Girl With Glitter In Her Eye The Bunker Jan 12 -13, 19 - 20, 26 - 27 

Scenes With Girls The Royal Court Jan 15 - Feb 22

The Undefinable Camden People’s Theatre Dec 10 – 21

Pecsmas The Yard until Dec 20

The Family Jewels NYE Y2K House Party DIY Space Dec 31

Fairview Young Vic until Jan 23

Christmas At The Snowglobe Shakespeare’s Globe Dec 19 - 23

Swive Sam Wanamaker Playhouse Dec 7 - Feb 15

Madiha Ansari specialises in cultural engagement, specifically for communities of South Asian women. She is the founder and director of arts-based social enterprise The Cultural Ecology Project which aims to make art accessible to those in the most deprived and vulnerable areas of society. 

You can contact her at madiha@lungtheatre.co.uk or follow her at @AnsariMadiha.

Madiha's #feministfaves were the Muslim Women’s Council, Cate Blanchet and the Pakistani movie Cake. 

Pippa’s is Leslie Feinberg’s Stone Butch Blues.

Beth's is Samira Ahmed.

More recommendations... 

And So The Choir Gathers The Bunker Nov 17 & 18 

i will still be whole (when you rip me in half) & Before I Was A Bear is on until 23rd November. Use ticket discount BECHDEL10 to join us for our audience discussion on Thursday 21 November. 

Little Miss Burden The Bunker Dec 4 - 21

Midnight Movie Royal Court Nov 27 - Dec 21

Post Popular Soho Theatre Dec 3 - 14

Bitch on Heat Soho Theatre Dec 5 - 14

Venus Soho Theatre Jan 13 - 18

Three Sisters National Theatre Dec 3 - Feb 19

OH YES OH NO Battersea Arts Centre until Nov 23

EASY Blue Elephant until Nov 23

Aladdin and the Feast of Wonders The Vaults until Jan 15

Porscha Present is a singer, pianist, performer, and tutor currently playing Mermaid, Baba Yaga in Red Palace.

Camilla Harding is a performer, actor, and drag-dabbler currently playing Prince, Wolf, and an unnamed mystery character in Red Palace.

Red Palace is a Shotgun Carousel production, written by Cressida Peever and directed by Celine Lowenthal. It’s running at The Vaults until January 12.

Porscha’s #FeministFaves are femmes with facial hair, the Gurls Talk online community founded by Adwoa Aboah, and the model Sophia Hadjipanteli.

Milly’s #FeministFave is the tattoo artist Mani.Tattoo who focuses on tattooing as a sacred and ancient art, and often tattoos darker skin and people of colour.

Beth’s #FeministFaves are the apocalyptic zombie movie The Girl With All The Gifts netflix, and the documentary about women running for congress Knock Down The House netflix.

Pippa’s #FeministFaves are lesbian activist singer-songwriter Grace Petrie and her song Black Tie, plus a series of articles about Butch identities recently published on Refinery29: Butch Is Beautiful, and A Butch Dandy & A Trans Man Get Real About The Intersection Of Their Identities.

More recommendations...

The Pleasance Theatre’s Best of Edinburgh Fringe including:

Bible John & Honeybee Nov 2 - 3 

Madame Ovary Nov 8 - 10 

A History of Water In The Middle East The Royal Court until Nov 16

i will still be whole (when you rip me in half) bunker The Bunker Nov 12 - 23

(Read Pippa’s blog response to i will still be whole, and listen to our podcast episode with writer Ava Wong Davies)

Before I Was A Bear The Bunker Nov 12 - 23

(Use the discount code BECHDEL10 for a cheap ticket and join us for a post-show audience conversation about Before I Was A Bear on Thurs Nov 21)

Girl From Nowhere at The Bedford Nov 13 - 14 

I’m A Phoenix, Bitch at HOME Manchester Nov 26 - 30 

Plant Fetish at HOME Manchester Nov 27 - 30 

Abortion Rights Abortion Cabaret at Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club on Nov 6.

Fokin’ Bring It On Lads at Rosemary Branch Nov 6 - 9

[Blank] The Donmar Warehouse until Nov 30.

Burgerz on tour, tickets available in Warwick, Birmingham, Bristol, and Cambridge, until Dec 1.

(Listen to our podcast episode with Travis Alabanza)

Queens of Sheba touring to Bristol, Warwick, Battersea, Essex & Leicester. Until Nov 29.

(Listen to our podcast episode talking about Queens of Sheba)

Trojan Horse touring to Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Halifax, Liverpool, Huddersfield, Doncaster, Hull, Lancaster, Norwich, Mold, Bradford, London, and Birmingham. Until Nov 21.

It’s True, It’s True, It’s True touring to Manchester, Doncaster, Sheffield, Nottingham, Newcastle, East Riding, Warwick, Salisbury York, Plymouth, Oxford, Halifax and Leeds. Until Nov 23.

Desiree’s Coming Early Soho Theatre Nov 11 – 23

Since U Been Gone Camden People’s Theatre Nov 19 – 20

(Listen to our podcast episode with Teddy Lamb)

I, AmDram Camden People’s Theatre Nov 26 – 30.

This is the fourth episode in a series of podcasts covering Edinburgh Fringe 2019. 

Listen back to the previous episodes with Mika Johnson & Teddy Lamb, Travis Alabanza, and Emily Aboud & Charlotte Dowding, and look out on our social media for tour dates to see their shows.

You can now support Bechdel Theatre on Patreon with a monthly donation of $1.

Brigitte Aphrodite is a punk poet, musician, writer, theatre maker and feminist showgirl. Brigitte is the writer of Parakeet, and performs as a parakeet underscoring the show.

Michelle Tiwo is an actor, poet and model, and the lead performer in Parakeet.

Brigitte’s #FeministFaves are…

Music: Pink Suits, Self Esteem, Big Joanie, The Tuts, Dream Wife, Kate Nash, Lunatraktors

Books: Period Power by Maisie Hill, Laura Dockrill’s books for children & young adults.

Poet: Neelam Saredia-Brayley

Michelle’s #FeministFaves are...

Travis Alabanza & their writing about Edinburgh Fringe

Ruth Sutoye & Bald Black Girls

Tobi Kyeremateng & The Black Ticket Project

Poetry & art from: Touching Bass, Steam Down, Andrea Phillips, Vanessa Kisuule, Rachael Young, Theresa Lola, The Rap Party, Belinda Zhawi & Born::Free

Michelle & Brigitte’s Edinburgh show recommendations...

Pink Lemonade by Mika Johnson

How To Be Brave by Dirty Protest 

Out by Rachael Young

Splintered by Emily Aboud

Burgerz by Travis Alabanza (Autumn tour includes: Dublin, Newcastle, Glasgow, Warwick, Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge & London)

The End & One by Bert & Nasi (One is coming to Battersea Arts Centre in October)

Civilization by Antler Theatre

Class & Fat Blokes By Scottee (Class is coming to Home in Manchester in Oct & touring in 2020)

Hearty by Emma Frankland

Emily Aboud is the director and writer of Splintered.

Charlotte Dowding is one of the three performers in Splintered.

Splintered is a Lagahoo Theatre production which uses cabaret, carnival, and recorded interviews with LGBTQ+ people in Trinidad and Tobago to tell the stories of Queer people in the Caribbean. It’s on every night during Edinburgh Fringe, at Bedlam Theatre 21:30.

Emily’s #FeministFaves are soca artist Nailah Blackman & dancehall artist Shenseea.

Charlotte’s #FeministFave is The Slumflower, and her book What A Time To Be Alone.

Other #EdFringe shows mentioned in this episode...

Girl Scouts vs Aliens at Assembly George Square at 12:10

Pink Lemonade at Assembly Roxy at 15:45 every other day (listen to our previous episode featuring Pink Lemonade writer/performer Mika Johnson)

Typical at Pleasance Courtyard 16:30

Travis Alabanza is a performer, writer and theatre-maker based in London (via Bristol). Their show BURGERZ is on at the Traverse Theatre at varying times until August 25th (except the 5th, 12th & 19th), and then on tour, going to Dublin, Newcastle, Glasgow, Warwick, Birmingham, Bristol, and London’s Southbank Centre.

Travis’ #FeministFave is community activist, writer, trainer & facilitator Nim Ralph.

Pippa’s #FeministFave is singer-songwriter King Princess.

Beth’s #FeministFave is the organisers of BiFest, Bi Pride, and #BwiththeT.

Travis’ #EdFringe show recommendations are...

Black Holes Zoo Southside 14:20 (Aug 19-25th)

Nightclubbing/OUT Summerhall 15:45

Pink Lemonade & Since U Been Gone Assembly Roxy 15:45 

(listen to our interview with Mika Johnson & Teddy Lamb on our first EdFringe2019 podcast)

Class Assembly Roxy 16:05

Crystal Rasmussen Underbelly Cowgate 17:50

Sex Education Summerhall 19:10

Sofie Hagen: The Bumswing Pleasance Dome 19:00 

Sophie Duker: Venus Pleasance Courtyard 19:00

Lucy McCormick: Post Popular Pleasance Courtyard 20:00

Shit Theatre Drink Rum With Expats Summerhall 20:05

Splintered Bedlam Theatre 21:30

This episode is the first Bechdel Theatre podcast from Edinburgh Fringe 2019!

Follow us on instagram & twitter, and read our blog for constant updates of EdFringe shows to see. If you want to support our work at Edinburgh you can still do so via our GoFundMe, Ko-Fi, and Patreon pages.

Mika Johnson is a writer and performer from Nottingham. Their show Pink Lemonade is on at Assembly Roxy at 15:45 on odd dates. Help fund Mika's Top Surgery

Teddy Lamb is a playwright and theatre-maker from Warwickshire. Their show Since U Been Gone is on at Assembly Roxy at 15:45 on even dates.

Mika and Teddy’s shows are both being co-produced by The Queer House and HighTide Theatre. The Queer House is an agency and production company for LGBTQIA+ actors, performers and theatre-makers.

Teddy’s #FeministFave is writer/podcaster Bethany Rutter and her debut novel No Big Deal.

Mika’s #FemininstFave is the book Kings Queens and Inbetweens by Tanya Boteju.

Beth’s #FeministFave is Cerys Bradley’s podcast The Coming Out Tapes.

Pippa’s #FeministFave is the Channel 4 TV show Drag SOS.

ALL the recommendations featured on this episode can be found on our latest blog post: Shows to see at Edinburgh Fringe 2019.

Selina Thompson is an artist and performer based in Leeds, who has been creating autobiographical work since 2014.

salt. Is part of a wider body of Selina’s work looking at Black British identity. It focuses on grief, home, Afro-pessimism, the Black Atlantic, the forgetting of the UK’s colonial history and the impact that has on the daily life of Caribbean communities in the UK today.

Rochelle Rose is an actor and singer who is playing the role of The Woman in salt. for the show’s Royal Court run.

You can see salt. at the Royal Court until June 1st. We also recommend checking out Selina’s Reading List for salt. which includes books, films, music, and twitter accounts to follow.

Selina’s #FeministFave is Rebecca Sugar’s cartoon series Steven Universe.

Rochelle’s #FeministFave is her Grandmothers.

Beth’s #FeministFave is the TV series Pose, which is currently available to watch in the UK on BBC iPlayer.

Pippa’s #FeministFave is the Olympic Gold-medallist Caster Semenya. Follow and support her on twitter & instagram.

Selina’s show recommendations…

Travis Alabanza’s Burgerz (touring throughout 2019, including Edinburgh throughout August)

Sue MacLaine’s Vessel

Alexandrina Hemsley & Seke Chimutengwende’s Black Holes

Rachael Young’s Nightclubbing (Folkestone on June 15, then Edinburgh until August 11)

Demi Nandhra’s Life Is No Laughing Matter

Unfolding Theatre’s Hold On Let Go (Battersea Arts Centre, then Edinburgh throughout August)

Tim Etchells’ To Move In Time

Beth & Pippa are hosting an audience discussion after Kill Climate Deniers at The Pleasance on June 8th - use the code BECHDEL12 to get a discount ticket and join the conversation.

Bechdel Theatre is going to Edinburgh Fringe to record our podcast, support artists, and find shows that pass the Bechdel test with flying colours!

Support our work for £5 on GoFundMe, £3 on Ko-Fi, or $1 a month on Patreon.

Florence Schechter is the founder of the Vagina Museum, which will be the first ever bricks-and-mortar museum dedicated to vaginas, vulvas and the gynaecological anatomy. You can donate to the Vagina Museum's Crowdfunder Page to help them make the museum a physical reality.

Rejoicing At Her Wondrous Vulva The Young Woman Applauded Herself is Bella Heesom's second collaboration with director Donnacadh O'Briain and co-performer Sara Alexander. You can listen to our interview with Bella about her previous show My World Has Exploded A Little Bit in episode 2 of our podcast.

Florence’s #FeministFave is Second Shelf bookshop in the West End which sells rare and antiquarian books, modern first editions, ephemera, manuscripts, and rediscovered works by women.

Beth’s #FeministFave is Lizzo’s new album Cuz I Love You

Pippa’s #FeministFave is the book Fierce Femmes and Notorius Liars: A Dangerous Trans Girl’s Confabulous Memoir by Kai Cheng Thom

Funeral Flowers Bernie Grant Arts Centre May 29 - June 1

Salt. Royal Court until June 1

Does My Bomb Look Big In This Soho Theatre until June 8

Yvette The Bush Theatre until June 4 & Manchester Royal Exchange June 6 - 8

Firecracker (First Bite) Ovalhouse June 6 - 8

Sweat The Gielgud June 7 - Jul 20

Fantabulosa! Touring outdoor festivals across England until September

Kill Climate Deniers The Pleasance June 4 - 28

(including a Bechdel Theatre post-show audience discussion on June 8)

This episode was sponsored by Stagedoor.

 Lyn Gardner is the critic for the Stagedoor app. In the past she has written theatre reviews for The Guardian, The Stage and The Independent. She also writes children’s novels.

Ava Wong Davies writes about theatre for Exeunt Magazine, The Stage, and on her own blog. Her debut as a playwright: i will still be whole (when you rip me in half) was at VAULT Festival this year.

Read what Lyn wrote about Ava’s play i will still be whole (when you rip me in half) on Stagedoor, and Pippa’s piece of embedded criticism about the play on our blog.

Ava's #FeministFave was her friend Eve Allin, who writes about theatre, art and music.

Lyn's #FeministFave was American poet and essayist Adrienne Rich.

Audience #FeministFaves were:

Jasmine Paris - a runner who became the first woman to win the 268 mile ultra-marathon Spine Race while breastfeeding.

Carol Christ - an academic who writes about women in religion and Goddess Feminism.

Claudia Jones - the Trinidad-born political activist and community leader who founded Notting Hill Carnival.

Beth’s #FeministFave was art critic duo The White Pube.

Pippa #FeministFave was menstrual product activist Amika George.

Recommendations...

Dismantle this Room Royal Court Apr 6 - 27

White Pearl Royal Court May 10 - Jun 15

Salt Royal Court May 14 - Jun 1

A Piece of The Continent The Actor’s Centre until Apr 27

I’m Here, Where Are You? Cambridge Junction Apr 26 - 27

Out Of Water Orange Tree Theatre Apr 27 - Jun 1

Rebel Season The Albany Apr 11 - Jun 1

Funeral Flowers The Bunker Apr 15 - May 4

Fuck You Pay Me The Bunker May 7 - 19

A Life Sentence at Cat's Back Theatre (Wandsworth Arts Festival) May 5 - 6

Ad Libido Soho Theatre May 7 - 11

Rejoicing At Her Wondrous Vulva The Young Woman Applauded Herself Ovalhouse

May 9 - 25

The Party Somewhere Else Nottingham Playhouse May 14 - 18

Calm Down Dear Camden People’s Theatre from May 27

Rotterdam on tour to locations including: Oxford, Manchester, Eastbourne, Southampton, Birmingham until Jun 22

The Amber Trap Theatre503 Apr 24 - May 18

J'Ouvert Theatre503  May 29 - Jun 22