A mother of a decision

Former dancer and multi-talented Emma Sandall (and one-time valued writer for Dance Australia) has returned from overseas and is about to present her own one-woman play.

Called An Ambivalent Woman of 37, the play is based on Sheila Heti’s bestselling book Motherhood and is described as "a kaleidoscopic, multimedia journey into the heart of a woman’s struggle to make that mother of all decisions: whether or not to have a child".

She has collaborated with composer Elena Kats-Chernin and pianist Yanghee Kim and combined dance, video, dialogue and original music to take her audience on a sometimes absurdist, often darkly comic and always deeply compassionate ride.

Along the way, she challenges the idea of female fulfilment and sacrifice - and who gets to define it.

“There are few decisions more subject to the opinions and judgements of others and An Ambivalent Woman responds to them all,” Sandall says. “I reckon this is required viewing for all women and girls - in fact any and all genders for that matter, yep menfolk and boyfolk too - for this is a dilemma allkind ought to know and think a little more about.”

An Ambivalent Woman of 37 is presented as part of the Sydney Fringe Festival at Flight Path Theatre from September 10 to 14.