Join the club! A story about the sex you never wanted starring Kate Daley (who we were lucky enough to chat to on our youtube channel which you can watch at https://youtu.be/htxYkJfDAQQ) is a humorous yet heartbreaking exploration of sexuality and community. Turning immense trauma into deep feelings of connection as Kate candidly and at times hilarious documents her own intense experiences in a bid to bring the audience together and empower them to own the darker things they might have gone through. The story takes place within a fictitious therapy session where Kate is chatting to her therapist about the horrific things she has endured in her earlier life but in classic performance still she uses this opportunity to share a collection of jokes/gags to avoid talking about what actually happened. After the therapist (as they traditionally would and should do ) tries to break down her coping mechanism , Kate turns directly to the audience as they are the ones who are giving her attention and laughs. What is clever about this fundamental foundation of the show is that it is not only incredible accurate as many people make the conscious choice to present themselves in a certain way when exploring intense and dark moments but also I think it is always fantastic when a show decided to highlight the importance of therapy (even through this comedic lens) as it can only help other people to gain the toolkit they need to get support if they have ever or will go through a similar traumatic event. Due to the intimate venue at Snug at Paradise in Augustine’s the show possesses such a cosy and personal feel which instantly makes the audience become totally immersed in the honest stories being shared by Kate.
The entire show is underpinned by the idea that Kate felt pressured and behind on her own personal exploration of sexuality from her peers and so decided to adopt this persona who is the almost total opposite of how she is in day to day life and this confident alter-ego is complete with a discussion around adopting a role-play style activity during certain encounters which eventually leads to her horrific experience. One of the most important messages in the show is the longing for community as it is impossible for sexual assault victums to be able to form meaningful connections after the fact due to not only the share but the fact that you their is no visible markers showing people who have gone through a similar thing. This concept in itself is a stark reminder of how frequent these terrible experiences are (especially for young women) and, due to Kate sharing her honest stories in this cosy venue , encourages viewers to come together to support one another regardless of their background , age etc. Due to the topics explored and the intensely intimate this show it is , this is absolutely a show for a more mature audience with the solo performer repeatedly dropping the word “rape” and avoiding any sort of euphemisms (that would soften the impact) to keep the world-altering impact of such an experience while also maintaining this honest and real feel of the presentation itself. Despite this word invoking shudders from the audience every time it is uttered, this honesty furthers the idea of collective togetherness and community.
In conclusion , Join the club! A story about the sex you never wanted by Kate Daley is a powerful and moving story of one person’s journey from trauma to inviting a sense of community. Through humour and heartbreak Kate has created a show that shows that being assaulted is not the end of your journey and encourages every to come together and support each other which is a very important message especially in today’s political situation. I would rate this show 4 out of 5 stars!
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