Following the success of shows at Edinburgh Fringe Festival a theatre company is bringing its topical play, Bump, to Wandsworth’s Tara Theatre as part of a female-centric festival.
Bump&Grind Theatre’s Bump follows the story of 23-year-old Lily (Rosa Torr), who finds herself sitting in an abortion clinic faced with making the toughest decision of her young life.
Written by Rosa Torr along with directors Rosa Bowden and Cathal Sheerin, Bump explores a variety of topics from friendship to feminism while questioning the reasons why a woman might choose an abortion and how crucial they are to a woman’s freedom.
“The idea started about two years ago when I was studying in Ireland and the Repeal the Eighth referendum was going on. The Eighth Amendment meant abortion was illegal,” said Rosa.
“We realised there were a lot of statistics from a scientific perspective and a lot of violent imagery which is detached from the human experience of what an abortion actually might entail. We wanted to explore a very human take on the issue which means this isn’t just a single issue play – because nothing is ever a single issue in real life.”
The play comes from a very real place as Rosa herself had an abortion at 18 years old. While drawing from her own experience, she also held some open, often emotional, discussions with friends who had also been through it.
And with the recent uproar against Alabama’s controversial decision to ban all abortions (including unwanted pregnancies from rape), the show couldn’t have returned at a more topical time.
“Whenever I have moments where I question the importance of the show…I remember that just across the sea, women are not granted that right,” said Rosa.
“Until we have full access, the show will continue to speak to people and hopefully have a place in the political discussion. It’s something I feel very passionate about because it is a human rights issue that needs addressing and we need to act quickly because it’s kind of ridiculous.”
However, despite the wide range of views on the topic – from the liberal to extreme – Bump intentionally aims to give a balanced view of the debate without bias. The one-woman format allows the character of Lily to directly and personally connect with audiences; allowing them to make their own decision on whether she made the right choice.
Rosa said: “We just say please come along and welcome you to make your own decision. Hopefully it’s open enough and relatable enough that there’s some essence of humanness that people can hold on to.”
She added: “It’s a genuine story and as much as there’s politics behind it, ultimately there’s a story. It’s story-telling and it’s there to be enjoyed but hopefully they take away something thought-provoking that will make them consider what’s going on in America and what’s going on in Northern Ireland.”
Bump&Grind Theatre hopes to take the play to many more places, including Northern Ireland but for now, you can watch the show at Tara Theatre as part of their ‘I’ll Say It Again’ Festival.
For more information visit: https://www.tara-arts.com/whats-on/bump
