Benched

 An intimate performance that ruminates on athleticism within a disabled body

“I don’t think of myself as a sporty person. I didn’t think I’d be disabled by my early twenties.” - Jamila Main

Six invited guests enter the space one by one. They choose a ball, shoe, or frisbee and take a seat. A story is told. 

Jamila Main invites you to join them for an intimate moment of rumination on athleticism within a body whose access needs subvert the assumed binary of disability. Audiences will watch the story shift before their eyes as special guests join Jamila Main on the bench throughout the season. 

Benched continues Jamila’s work with autobiographical storytelling and sees Jamila wielding their privilege as a palatable disabled person to put frank, nuanced portrayals of disabled bodies into public view. Jamila’s work asks able bodied spectators to reconsider their assumptions of sick and disabled people, and to confront their own temporarily abled body. Jamila joyfully presents theatre for disabled and chronically ill people, an opportunity to commiserate and celebrate disability together.

This advertisement caught my eye and so, I bought tickets, drove across Sydney in peak hour and took my seat in the Eternity Playhouse which was once the Darlinghurst Baptist Tabernacle. I'm sure the tabernacle was once a sight to behold but most of the historic detail in the building was not visible indoors.

The repair/ renovation and re-purposing of the building had been done in a refined industrial style and allowed glimpses of the older decorated ceilings and stained glass windows.

When we entered the theatre, Jamila was already on the bench.

There were stories about a young woman who enjoyed a number of sports and was good at them before arthritis and endometriosis caused chronic pain and disability.

I'm not sure what I expected from this show. The stories were interesting but each one closed with a monologue. It was a good monologue talking about the loss of an expected future, loss of an active youth, pain, the mental journey from "able" to "disabled" and joy in disability. 

What I didn't like was hearing the monologue six times.

I think there was value in the repetition but not enough value to do it six times. Or maybe it was over kill for me because I already understand the message.

I used a Dine and Discover* voucher to get discounted tickets and it was worth what I paid but i didn't think it wouldn't have been worth full price.

It was a pleasant enough night out and there is always something to gain from any attempt to educate the general public around disability. I wonder if the wine quaffing women who couldn't get out of the way of a wheelchair in a tight space learnt anything?

*Dine and Discover is a government project to get people out and about after lockdowns