What happens after happily ever after? In this provocative and hilarious show, magic is what happens. “The secret to magic is that there’s no trick, only the suspension of disbelief…” says the character, Ali Anderson, in this one-woman hit show first presented in 2023 as part of Melbourne’s Midsumma Festival.
Ali Anderson (played by Jennifer Vuletic and scripted by Jane Montgomery Griffith) lives a charmed life. Ali’s life is one of a comfortable middle-class English high school teacher, wife, mother of two teenage sons, driving a Subaru Forester. But something is missing.
Deep down Ali yearns to feel bound, submitted, and owned. With dazzling references to classic novels and alternating episodes of authentic humour and emotional intensity, we together explore Ali’s transformation, as she suspends disbelief and fear and explores a magical new world.
What immediately charms about this production is not just the sophisticated witty script, deft costuming, staging, and high quality sound and lighting, but also the degree of care the performer shows the audience by involving them emotionally in the humour and passion of her character’s experience. “In surrender lies the magic,” Ali says about her transformative experience, expressing the wisdom of lived experience.
One particular aspect I felt curious about after the show is the impact on the character’s marriage. The show sharply focused on the central lived experience of the main character. Other characters are mentioned solely as they reflect on the main character’s transformation.
The only mention of monogamy in the show is a brief reference to BDSM as therapy rather than infidelity. But the show could have explored Ali’s changed relationship with her wife. Instead the show limited the portrayal of boundaries in kink play to the main character’s sexual experiences.
One unexpected gift of this show for me was the rich conversation after the show. Because the show frames taboo material in a humorous, respectful way, it allowed us to freely talk about this topic. So any open-minded adults will enjoy this.
Furthermore, the play uses intimate details like awkward suburban barbeques, lunch break conversations at work, and the smells of ferrying children to sports practice to expand the circle of sympathy so it has a truly inclusive entertainment value.
I would especially recommend it for a couples night out, especially a date night, or simply as a fun conversation starter for a small group of close friends, for the fun and exciting experience as much as for the intriguing conversations afterwards.
MILF and The Mistress
Jack & Jill’s Basement Bar, 121 Pirie Street, Adelaide
Performance: Tuesday 27 February 2024
Season continues to 10 March 2024
Bookings: www.adelaidefringe.com.au
For more information, visit: www.milfandthemistress.com for details.
Image: Jennifer Vuletic stars in MILF and The Mistress (supplied)
Review: Paul Bard