It’s a Femininomenon and you’re invited: ANU Women’s Revues sets the stage

Posted on 13 August, 2024

Prepare for a night of laughter and heartfelt performances at the ANU Women’s Revue 2024: It’s a Femininomenon, a bold comedy show with a conscience.

It’s a Femininomenon is more than just a theatre production. In 2024, the annual ANU’s Women’s Revue brings together women, transgender, non-binary, and gender-diverse students to create comedy that shines a light on crucial issues. Jemma Rule, ANU student and co-producer of the show explains that the Revue’s mission is to offer both a safe space and a platform for underrepresented voices.

“I saw the Women’s Revue as a safe space for women, transgender, non-binary and gender diverse people to be able to create, performs and share together.”

Launched in 2017, with the affiliation of ANU’s Women’s Department, the ANU Women’s Revue is dedicated to empowering women, non-binary, transgender, and gender-diverse students through creative expression. Together, this community acts as a force for progress, challenging and reshaping cultural norms related to shame, misogyny, and sexism.

Despite advances in sexual liberation, financial stability, and LGBTIQA+ rights, statistics reveal persistent shortcomings. According to Our Watch, every nine days a woman loses her life due to domestic violence, two in five women experience gendered violence since age 15, and 53% of women face sexual harassment in their lifetime. It’s a Femininomenon uses comedy to confront these harsh realities and, hopefully, inspire change.

Unlike typical theatre productions, the revue is a unique blend of parody, skits, songs, current affairs, and pop culture, creating an “extravaganza” where, as Jemma puts it, “you can expect everything from the personal, the political—and even a ‘stripper cop’.”

One highlight I am personally looking forward too is a choose-your-own-adventure skit where the audience steers the storyline.

Jemma explains that this year’s production delves into themes of sexism, misogyny, violence, and substance abuse, offering a creative outlet and a vital space for marginalised voices. Comedy often faces criticism for its lack of diversity, a gap these ANU students are eager to fill.

“Comedy is lacking diversity, and it’s a gap that ANU students recognise and want to bridge,” says Jemma. “Creating comedy, creating satire, representing women and people marginalised by gender on stage in comedy.”

The show draws on the lived experiences of ANU students, addressing both local and global issues through relatable and engaging performances.

“Our audiences are not autonomous,” Jemma notes, “comedy and satire is a great way to be able to connect with audiences, especially audiences from a variety of different backgrounds.”

“We want people to leave, having thought that it was fun, funny, entertaining, and engaging. But we also want people to think about the content of our skits and songs, we want them to hear us.”

Jemma encouraged audience members to “Leave with a smile on your face but also think about the content.”

After all, all we really need is a Femininomenon.

Images supplied.