About the performance

Inspired by the writing of 19th-century French hermaphrodite Adelaide Herculine Barbin, Memoirs of a Hermaphrodite combines new poetic writing, a new musical score and visceral physical performance to tell a poignant story with universal resonance. Herculine's journey takes the audience from the bittersweet safety of a country nunnery, to the dark and seedy freakshows and peepshows of Paris.

Key Personnel

Sarah Leaver - Writer; performer
Denise Evans - Director; tour booker
Martin Chick - Lighting Designer; technical operation
Jason Pegg - Soundscape and musical composition

Production Information

Running time at full length: 75 minutes

Suitable for age 15+

Use of medium text

Use of recorded music

Requires a clear understanding of English

Available with audio description or captioning

Touring Information

Small scale show (up to 400 seats)

Appropriate for studio or other theatre setting

Number of people on tour: 3

Number of performers on stage: 1

Available to tour from February 2012

Outreach and Educational Work

Sarah Leaver and Denise Evans are both experienced teachers and workshop leaders and can offer a range of educational work in theatre- making, devising, physical theatre, directing and voice work as well as hosting Q&A debate and discussion around the themes of the production. Successful Q&A debates around the subject of the hermaphrodite have been hosted by Club Wotever in Brighton and The Oval House in London. Presenting the show in venues that have strong relationships with local schools offers the opportunity of workshopping with young people around the themes of acceptance of difference and anti-bullying as well as theatre making and storytelling.

Company History

For this project, Sarah Leaver is an individual artist working in collaboration with Denise, Martin and Jason. Denise Evans is the director of the piece and managing future touring work. All four key artists are experienced theatre makers in their fields, and have worked together on other productions before coming together to make Memoirs of a Hermaphrodite. In particular, Sarah Leaver and Denise Evans have worked together extensively with both Company:Collisions and Periplum Theatre.

Memoirs of a Hermaphrodite is the first solo piece by Sarah Leaver and the first collaboration by these artists. ACE supported a research and development period in Nov-Dec 2008 culminating in two showings in Brighton. The piece was then further developed with the support of The Oval House Theatre and additional funding from an ACE artist support grant, premiering a sellout 3 week run in March 2010.

In May 2010 the piece won a Best Solo Performance nomination for Sarah Leaver at The Brighton Festival where it sold out The Marlborough Theatre for three nights. Memoirs was invited to play The Unity Theatre Liverpool in March 2011, and we are offering the show for further UK and international touring from February 2012.

Recent Productions / Tours

Sarah Leaver has been touring with Periplum Theatre, on their productions Arquiem and The Bell, as well as 1000 Revolutions per Minute. She is also a teacher of performance skills at Northbrook College, Worthing.

In addition to Memoirs of a Hermaphrodite, Denise Evans has directed George Dillon's The Man Who Was Hamlet (currently touring), and performed in Ragroof Theatre's Gloves On and Periplum's 1000 Revolutions per Minute. She is part time General Manager for London based Tangram Theatre (currently touring The Origin of Species ... and Crunch!) and is also part of the Ragroof Theatre tours and events booking team.

Reviews

"Genuinely thrilling ... A passionate mix of Orlando, Chatterton and Hedder Gabler ..." G-Scene, March 2010

"Imaginative and impressive ... An emotionally affecting exploration of a condition that, even today, remains shrouded in mystery." The Stage, March 2010

"Wonderfully written, a beautiful mesh of poetry and wit ... Leaver's performance ... is sensational. One of the best pieces of theatre I have seen. Please go and see it." Extra Extra, March 2010

"A captivating performance; full of atmosphere, vivd and fast moving all laced together with particularly beautiful writing. There truly was a 'wow' element atht eend of the show, when the applause went on and on ..." Total Theatre, Jan 2009

"The treatment and life of an individual who was born intersexed is gently and lovingly portrayed by Sarah Leaver in the Unity Theatre's latest production ... (Sarah's performance) ... had the Unity Theatre audience spellbound ... Exquisite!!! Ian D Hall, Liverpool Student Press, March 2011.

Nominated Best Solo Performance, Brighton Fringe Festival, May 2010.