The Talk by Mish Grigor

A woman with long dark hair and a fringe wears red pants and a red and white striped shirt. She stands in front of a long table with her arms stretched out to the sides.

Presented by Darebin Arts Speakeasy

Mish Grigor's The Talk is a terribly undomesticated evening. It's one account of what happens when you start talking about sex with your family, what 'the talk' is, and what it shouldn't be.

The Talk is performed solo, with the audience. Spectators are asked to volunteer and given scripts, to read cold, in front of their fellow audience. They play the role of brother, mother, etc., and together we en-act the interviews. The structure is like a rowdy family dinner: the interviews are woven together, interrupt each other, stories left unfinished as a new, funnier or more interesting topic comes up.

The Talk is not about living with HIV, but rather about what kind of dialogue a Positive status has opened up within one family. It is about discussing taboo subjects. The piece evokes the awkwardness, the nervous giggles, the difficult moments amongst family members.

Artist Bio

Mish Grigor is an artist based in Sydney engaged in an ongoing examination into the intersections between populist entertainment and experimental performance practices.

Mish is one third of the collaboration POST, formed in 2003, in collaboration with Natalie Rose and Zoe Coombs Marr. POST have been described as having 'a seriousness about silliness' (The Australian), as creators of 'biting Australian satire' (REALTIME), and 'whose performance art often pokes fun at its very existence' (The Age).

Reviews

'Funny, intimate, moving and strange, The Talk will make you reflect on sexual taboos and prejudices, and how complex the lived realities of gender and sexuality really are in a domestic context.' - The Age ★★★

'Participatory theatre is a rare find on Australian stages and congratulations to [Mish Grigor] on bringing The Talk to Melbourne, so we can get the chance to become part of her story, and challenge our own beliefs about families, sex and relationships.' - Weekend Notes