Writer and performer Mika Johnson delivers a powerful, poignant and relatable queer narrative, which voices the story of a masculine-identifying lesbian, navigating life and love through a heteronormative landscape. Johnson conveys a powerful voice for the queer community; storytelling at its best.
A powerful, poignant and relatable queer narrative
Spoken word pieces are delivered to a backdrop of music, breakbeats and atmospheric lighting techniques; Johnson owns the stage with a powerful stage presence. Physical moves enhance the message of the piece, showcasing a body-positive image of a masculine lesbian. Vulnerability is centre stage as we share Johnson’s personal journey through love and lust.
Johnson moves with confidence and power, owning the stage with their inner strength and self-belief engaging the audience. Eye contact, facial expression and gestures draw us in, tearing down the fourth wall, as the audience is directly addressed.
The show opens with a powerful spoken word piece referncing how one can carry a part of your ex with you; how they set up camp in your mind, ‘get inside you’ and penetrate your psyche. This relatable trope sets up the narrative, as Johnson guides us through their journey from meeting the love interest, sexual escapades, towards an emotional climax.
Johnson's gender identity is explored, starting with the sharing of their childhood memories, with their unwillingness to conform to expected gender roles, regarding clothing and hairstyles. An evocative use of an audio recording of their mother's voice, with lip synch, is effectively used.
A clever use of staging enhances the physical theatre elements; be sure to enjoy the entertaining and visceral depiction of the love interest's penchance for being a pillow princess. Powerful use of repetition hammers home the emotional minefield of a lesbian becoming intertwined with a heterosexual presenting woman. The theme of men feeling intimidated by masculine women is also explored.
Be sure to catch Pink Lemonade; a show where the themes explored and positive representation of queer lives on stage stay with you, long after the performance. Moving, entertaining, hot, sexy and raw.
