An invitation to MWMs May Special for Non-binary/ Trans Mothers and Carers, and/or Mothers and Carers of Non-binary/ Trans Children
Image by Xavier Singer-Kingsmith for Gray, Nicky Singer’s new book.
From Matilda:
In a month in which my son’s primary focus is the forthcoming arrival of his Lord of The Rings Conquest game and my daughter has just discovered Barbie, I am glad to be able to hold space for some less cis options in between.
On Friday May 28th 10am-12pm I will be holding a MWM Special for non-binary or trans mothers and carers and/ or mothers and carers of non-binary or trans children. I am delighted to introduce the two guests for this meeting: writer and mother Nicky Singer, and director and mother P. Burton Morgan. Please read on for their invitations below:
From Nicky:
My youngest child Xavier (now 24) identifies as a trans man. He is a dancer by training, filmmaker by inclination (shorts for Channel 4 and BBC Arts) and visual artist in the spaces between. I am primarily a novelist - though I have strayed on to the stage for the National Theatre and Glyndebourne. Xavier and I have been working together on my new novel for adults ‘Gray’ – with me on words and Xavier on pictures. The novel is a story of identity, boundaries, intimacy and that ‘place beyond language’ where some trans issues invite investigation. The journey is ongoing. The unexpected is every day. It’s not always easy. There’s joy. Here (above) is one of the illustrations from the book. I am interested in the personal, the creative, the political and how to keep nuance and complexity in the debate.
From P Burton Morgan:
We’re all of us artist mothers wrestling with imposter syndrome at one time or another I’m sure. I can’t be the only one whose work has shifted a bit during the pandemic. I was previously mostly a writer and director of stage work, now increasingly embracing film. But as we all push ourselves, or are unceremoniously shoved, out of our comfort zones we have to confront those pesky inner critics questioning our right to be there, to be taking up space doing something for which we’re wildly unqualified and painfully inexperienced. And so here I am today inviting you all to join me for a session on non-binary parenting / motherhood.
I am as out of my depth here, as I am in my newfound role as a film-maker because I only came out as non-binary last year, and unlike my trans sibling who has been vocally active and activist in their writing and general change-making around trans awareness and trans support for years, I am still taking baby-steps in putting words out into the world that combine my gender politics with my own gender identity and/or gender presentation. Like many enbys I’m still struggling to feel ‘trans enough’ to take up space on trans/NB platforms (which this is of course one). I’m also at great pains to point out that my unique situation (coming out as NB in my mid… ok late… thirties, after already having two children) is going to be so very different to parents/mothers who come out much earlier. I’m also married to a cis man so on a day where I choose to present more femme, or just less androgynously, we can pass as a ‘conventional’ heteronormative couple, which makes life less challenging in the small rural village where we live.
So after that uncharacteristically hesitant opening let me ask some provocations which maybe we can explore together in the session. I sure as hell don’t have the answers, but maybe collectively we can grope our way towards something resembling solutions.
Pronouns. I prefer they/them but apart from my 8 year old who has assimilated that change wholeheartedly (perhaps because he has inherited his mother’s love of, and precision with, language) everyone else reverts to ‘she’ unless I remind them. That is perhaps just part of the deal with changing your pronouns later in life. Especially for family and folk who’ve known you for decades, it takes time to change.
I still use the word ‘mum’ and ‘mother’ to describe myself, but also sometimes simply parent. For me the term 'mum' is a role, almost independent of gender. But I know other parents use other terms. And although I do still use my birth name ‘Poppy’ I now work professionally entirely under P Burton-Morgan.
So that's one thing to discuss - embracing evolving pronouns and names.
What else… gender presentation. Since making peace with who I am, and where I feel at home, I now always identify as non-binary or gender queer but I sometimes still present in a more feminine way, sometimes because that’s how I feel that day and also, if I’m honest, to avoid conflict and micro aggressions in situations and scenarios where I know my queer identity is going to be problematised. Sigh.
Conversely both my children currently identify very happily as male but because they have been raised in a household that eschews traditional gender binaries in terms of clothing they often wear leggings, sequins, nail varnish, and one of them has long hair cut in what many would describe as a ‘feminine’ style. We obviously move in (thankfully) liberal circles but they’ve rarely been challenged on their sartorial choices, and I remember the nursery used to be wonderfully supportive when one of them would come to pre-school in a beloved pink tutu. Sarah Jessica Parker eat your heart out! Just the other day we were in the playground when a child asked my eldest if he was a girl or a boy, but with no judgement, simply trying to ascertain the facts. And he equally matter of factly answered that he was a boy and they carried on playing in the sand.
I wish my experiences were similarly straightforward. But partly that’s why I don’t bother correcting people when they slip up with my pronouns - sometimes there’s more anxiety induced by people trying to get it right and walking on eggshells around me, over emphasising the ‘they’ and then furiously fumbling to correct themselves when they say she. So I just try to be chill about it.
At the end of the day, as an NB parent, or a parent of an NB or trans child, we all want the same thing - acceptance. Queer identity will only ever be a greater or lesser part of a larger identity. For few (maybe none) of us is it our defining feature. And as well all know from inhabiting the dual roles of mother and artist - the nature of our multi-layered messy lives is that our identities may overlap or even conflict with each other, we all contain multitudes - but we are not defined by any one aspect of our complex selves…
So join me in a gentle exploration of these overlapping messy parts of ourselves and let's see how we can support each other and what wisdom we can discover.
To book your place on the meeting (places limited) please go here
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SEMIDEUSES
LUH
Johanna - Lily James (f: caos)
Reyna - Lindset Morgan (f: belona)
Loshi - Ester Exposito (d: nyx e caos)
Alyssa - Danna Paola (d: hades e afrodite)
Catarina - Maria Pedraza (d: belona e hefesto)
Lilian - Emilie de Ravin (f: hemera)
Lilith - Melanie Scrofano (d: hades e macária)
Madison - Sofia Carson (d: hefesto)
Helena - Zoey Deutch (d: nyx)
Emma - Lili Reinhart (d: apolo)
Chloe - Emma Stone (d: venus e eros)
Lara - Lana Condor (d: plutão e marte)
Riley - Emeraude Toubia (f: tanato)
Jasmine - Maia Mitchell (d: bia)
Audrey - Kat Mcnamara (f: fobos)
Mila - Kiernan Shipka (f: Íris)
Argentina - Abbey Cowen (f: éris)
Cecil - Danielle Campbell (f: nyx)
Carina - Jessica lowndes (f: nyx)
Kevin - Timothee (d: afrodite e zeus)
Madalyn - Halsey (f: erebo)
David - Nick Robinson (d: talassa e tanato)
Jean Vaughn - Lisa Teige (d: eros e caos)
Elizabeth - Josefine Frida Pettersen (d: ares e demeter)
Joseph - Tarjei Sandvik Moe (d: despina e febo)
Cornelius - Brent Antonello (f: cronos)
Laura - Amy Okuda (d: plutão e marte)
Lyria - Arden Cho (d: plutão e marte)
Lorcan - Elizabeth Henstrindge (d: apolo e artes)
Lilian - Meritt Patterson (d: caos e nyx)
Bianca - Shen Yue (d: hades e apolo)
Donnatela Von Groeben - Candice Accola (f: gaia)
Louise - Phoebe Tonkin (f: ananque)
Valerie - Nina Dobrev (f: calígena )
Brooklyn - Daisy Ridley (d: nesos e ares )
Minnie - Claire Holt (f: caos)
Veronica - Lauren German (f: nyx)
Shancai - Jennie (f:eros)
Diamanta - Mari maria (f:venus)
Santiago - Aidan Gallagher (d: belona e hefesto)
Teresa - Ana de armas (d: belona e hefesto)
Alice - Eiza Gonzalez (d:ares e afrodite)
Gianna - Margot Robbie (f:nyx)
Ashley - Dakota Johnson (f: erebo)
Hazel - Emmy raver-lampman (f: plutão)
Annabeth - Melissa Benoist (f: atena)
Nico - Tom Hiddleston (f: hades)
Zoe - Eliza Taylor (d: poseidon e atena)
Polly - Teresa Palmer (f: erebo)
Mileva - Emilia Clarke (f: bia)
Gahana - Bae Joohyun (f: amaterasu)
Jin Fei - Chloe Bennet (f: Susanoo)
Dominika - Sarah Desjardins (f: baba yaga)
Andrei - Richard Harmon (f: Marzanna )
Isleen - Tasya Teles (f: Morrigan)
Careena - Madelaine Petsch (f: Manannán Mac Lir)
Anna Julia - Camila Mendes (f: Anhangá)
Thaís - Camila Queiroz (f: Akuanduba)
Freyja - Mary Elizabeth Winstead (f: loki)
Talassa - Alexandra Daddario (f: balder)
Teagen - Alycia debnam-carey (f:cailic)
Viktoriya - Kristine Froseth (d: nyx e caos)
Alula Castellan - Rachel Keller (d: zeus e hermes)
Orion Castellan - Cody Christian (d: zeus e hermes)
Layla Zhang - jeong heyoon (d: plutão e marte)
Otello Cameron - James Macvoy (f: poseidon)
Julieta Cameron - Sophie Turner (d: poseidon e zeus )
Daisy - Lily Collins (d: marte e apolo)
Drusilla - Jennifer Lawrence (d: despoina e jano)
Afrodite Campbell - Emily Browning (f: Afrodite)
Harlow - Zendaya Coleman (d: caos e talassa)
Otis - Chadwick Boseman (f: Caos)
Juniper - Inbar Lavi (f: talassa)
Mathew - Martin Freeman (f: urano)
Isabella Kuntz - Amanda Seyfried (f: venus)
Pheonté Ingram - Tessa Thompson (d: marte e hermes)
Sussie Frandsen - Yvonne Strahovski (f: érebo)
Bjor Gislisson - Henrik Holm (f: Forseti)
Ygritte Haddottir - Gina Steibz (f: Freya)
Dalla Sturladottir - Lisa Vicari (f: Hel)
Ingjald Torstensson - Taron Egerton (f: Odin)
Peter Alighieri- Tye Sheridan (d: hades e macaria)
Leonora Di Angelo - Benedetta Gargari (d: apolo e hades)
Ophelia Cameron - Sadie Sink (d: poseidon e zeus)
Joyce Di Angelo - Millie Bobby Brown (d: apolo e hades)
Antoni O'Doral - luke kleintank (f: hades)
Poppy O'Molony - Conor Lesllie (d: ares e athena)
Leslie Rochfort - Meryl Streep (f:apolo)
Learchos Rochfort - Scott Eastwood (d:apolo e ares)
Analia Reinhart - Jessica Chastain (f: ananque)
Grayson Kauffman-Algumacoisa - Jaeden Lieberher (d: maui e erebo)
Jacob Kauffman-Algumacoisa - Noah Schnapp (d: maui e erebo)
Savannah Kauffman-Algumacoisa - Maddie Ziegler (d: maui e erebo)
Arabella Reinhart - Alexandra Park (d: ananque)
Amelia Reinhart - Francesca Capaldi (d: ananque)
Adonis Reinhart - Asher Angel (d: ananque)
Brianna Kade - Hayley Atwell
Faith Kade - Adelaide Kane
Levi Kade - Jack Falahee
Sophie Von Groeben - Sydney Sweeney (d: hades, marte e gaia)
Luna Von Groeben - Britt Robertson (d: hades, marte e gaia)
Clara Amoretto - Emeraude Toubia
Julliana Amoretto - Camila Mendes
Celeste Amoretto - Camila Cabello
Stella Amoretto - Karla Souza
Acacia Dunhall - Bryce Dallas Howard
Sondra Eberhardt - Wyonna Ryder
Jelani Turner - Chance Perdomo
Veronika Eberhardt Torres - Sofia Carson
Hylla Avilla - Melissa Fumero
Richard Avilla-Algumacoisa - Booboo Stewart
Rain Avilla - Brenna D’Amico
Piper Mclain - Diane Guerrero
Tinker Lazar- Holland Roden
Kace Baxter - Michael Fassbender
Millicent Anttonen - Sophia Bush
Anna-Liisa Heinonen - Claire Holt
Mabel Sotto - Lily James
Regan Polinsky - Colin O’Donoghe
Moira Beckett - Laura Prepon
Spring Campbell - Katheryn Winnick
Tristan McLean - Ryan Potter
Noe - Tiera Skobvye
Megan West - Elizabeth Olsen
Sophia Illis - Phoebe Tonkin
Calypso - Jessica Abel
Paris Hale - Ben platt - Paris Hale
Jimmy Dean - Jonathan Groff
Paige McDermott - Danielle Panabaker
Starlight - Chyler Leigh
Savannah O’kelly - Caity Lotz
Naomi MacClancy - Sarah Drew
Wilhelma Nicolaisen - Caterina Scorsone
Amalie Desmond - Ellen Pompeo
Nina Nicolaisen - Odeya Rush
Clove Desmond - Minka Kelly
BERNIE
Meghan Ory - Cassie Hale
Lee Min Ho - Larry Zhang - História
Adam Senn - Gideon Burke - Geografia
Armie Hammer - Frederick Powell - Química
Gaspard - Finn Jones
Leo - robert sheehan
Dean Xavier - charlie cox
Adam Drivier - Alexander Kruggler - Matemática
Daniel Gillies - Aston Marvin
Ian Somehalder - Shawn Benz
Joseph Morgan - Michael McLaren - (caos)
Ben Barnes - Victor
Chris Evans - Cole Hopkins
Paul Wesley - Kurt Von Groeben - (Gaia)
Tom Ellis - John Makkachin (Elise filha)
Chris Wood - Kai Zammeti
Álvaro Rico - Keith Louvier
Miguel Herran - Thomas Avilla-Valdez
Miguel Bernardeau - Samuel Avilla-Valdez
Glen Powell - Lysander Desmond (Ares e Apolo)
Andrew Garfield - Evan Peter Kauffman
Noah Centineo - Lucas Santiago (Morfeu)
Shawn Mendes - Gale Bradock (Hemera)
Thomas Hayes - William Lynch
Herman Tømmeraas - Patrick McCarthy
Hunter Parrish - Cody Maddok (Apolo e Demeter)
Ross Lynch - Harvey Kinkle (Hefesto e Zeus)
Cole Sprouse - Dante Aligere (Hades e Afrodite)
David Castro - Jett Pierce
Dominic Sherwood - Hunter Castro
Matt Daddario - Jackson Kade (hipnos e demeter)
Alperen Duymaz - Klaus Markson
Douglas Booth - Dick Griffin
Will Tudor - Andrew Desmond
Henrik Holm - Robert Jackson
Iain De Caestecker - Salazar
Nicholas Buzolic - Mikkel Nikoforov
Daniel Sharman - Nicholas Di Angelo
Michael Fassbender - Kit Baxter
Nicholas Hoult - Laurence Keegan
Jeremy Irvine - Grayson Mills
Josh Dylan - Rupert Kingsley
Tom Hardy - Khalid Morgan
Tom Hiddleston - Deacon Price
Winston Duke - Jahmiah Whitaker
Sebastian Stan - Jay Macdonald
Grace Phipps - Daphiel Burke
Benedict Cumberbatch - Ray Burton
Michael B Jordan - Kingston Turner
Dominic Cooper - Lewis Mcfarland
Max Mighella - Jude Fowler
Laura Harrier - Chelsea Ingram
Moritz Jahn - Drifa Sturlason
Louis Hoffman - Banki Bjalfisson
Paul Lux - Ulf Gudasson
Lea van acken - Skuld “Sacks” Agnarsdottir
Liam Payne - Koby Armstrong
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Wondr Dramaturgy: Poppy Burton-Morgan @ Edfringe 2017
Metta Theatre
Presents
Wondr
Assembly Roxy
Aug 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28
This August, as we look back on 70 years of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Metta Theatre is looking to the future with two new plays exploring digital identity and our often problematic relationship to screen technology. World premieres Pixel Dust and Wondr both star esteemed TV and stage actor Simone James at Assembly Roxy.
What was the inspiration for this performance?
As a mum who spends a bit too much time online (instead of with my children) I wanted to explore that through theatre - and unpick how we can play with constructed identities in the digital realm.
Is performance still a good space for the public discussion of ideas?
It's the best space for it! Through (great) performance we're given permission to feel and what can seem, on paper, like dry philosophy becomes living breathing complex, multifaceted ideas - the stuff we grapple with in our daily lives. It's a great way in to those big ideas, the big questions.
How did you become interested in making performance?
Like many theatre artists I came to it as performer first, as a teenager, then moved into directing throughout my twenties, and then around the age of 30 (or more specifically when I had my first child) I suddenly felt the urge to write. The drive has always been to tell stories as a theatre maker - but suddenly I felt there were specific stories that weren't being told, which I was well placed to tell. And here we are - this is my debut play as a playwright!
Is there any particular approach to the making of the show?
The whole thing is written as one long epic poem - a 60 minute spoken word odyssey. But truthfully I didn't consciously choose that form - the words chose me and it wrote itself. The voice came fully formed. Later I pulled it apart and remade it to honour the structural and dramaturgical requirements of a classic one Act Drama. But at that point the process became almost more like sculpture.
Does the show fit with your usual productions?
Ha! I have four productions running simultaneously right now - a narrative street-dance Jungle Book, a production of Comedy of Errors set in a Victorian Circus and another solo show Pixel Dust which I'm directing to play in daily rep with Wondr. I'm a theatrical chameleon- always!
Even though three of those are through my own company Metta Theatre each is very different - the drive is to tell stories but I'm constantly pushing the boundaries of how to tell a story through a fusion of art forms.
What do you hope that the audience will experience?
Something extraordinary. Poetry that becomes thriller that breaks and re makes your heart. Ending in hope.
What strategies did you consider towards shaping this audience experience?
The play is full of revelations and plot twists so the structural placement of those is crucial - you're always searching for the perfect balance of seeding the idea of things without overtly prefiguring what's to come and spoiling the reveal. In advance I also shared the script with a lot of friends - both industry and fellow mums - to discover how it resonates differently for people who share the lived experiences of the character, and for people who don't! Hopefully there's something in it for everyone... that's always the dream!
The plays are part of Assembly's ‘FuturePlay’ a curated season within the Festival exploring all things digital.
Of Wondr Poppy Burton-Morgan says: ‘Don’t we all spend too much time on our phones creating and curating a digital life that feels far more interesting, and sometimes more real, than our actual life? But what happens when the line between digital life and reality blurs…’
No stranger to the stage, the versatile Simone James is thrilled to be tackling two such challenging roles - in Wondr she inhabits the character of Faith, a 29 year old single mum and social media sensation @WondrWomanUK whose world is about to be turned upside down. ‘I feel blessed to have the honour of bringing these thought provoking and culturally relevant plays to life. It’s such a welcome challenge to simultaneously tackle two such different and complex characters.’
Metta Theatre have developed both plays in collaboration with Oxford University’s Dr Andrew Przybylski award-winning Science Writer and Guardian Correspondent Professor Pete Etchells - both Psychologists whose work explores the impact of screen time and gaming. The project is supported by a Small Arts Award from the Wellcome Trust.
The Wellcome Trust is a global charitable foundation dedicated to improving health. They provide more than £700 million a year to support bright minds in science, the humanities and the social sciences, as well as education, public engagement and the application of research to medicine. www.wellcome.ac.uk
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