Pink pants, Doris Day and Spider Man trainers. Tomboy Blues is an honest and moving performance by performer/writer Rachel Mars and visual artist nat tarrab. It beautifully explores gender, queerness, a disappointing life and what it’s like to be told you’re something you feel you’re not.The performers bravely tell stories from their childhoods, sharing with us their inner fears and confusion at things such as being told you are one thing or the other (male or female) when you really feel like both. These are woven in and out of tales of love and hope. Mars and tarrab use their props intricately, from long elasticated bands to physically demonstrating relationship struggles to fighting over Barbies - the result is beautiful imagery that keeps you well and truly in the palm of their hands.The poetic writing is delivered with passion and poise. The fusion of ‘scientific facts’ and personal explorations form an incredibly thoughtful and intelligent script. The story of the girl who removed all the labels from food tins in the supermarket aisles made me fill up with tears whilst on the other hand being told that all of us currently in love are on the cusp of being horribly hurt, oddly, made me giggle. The most emotive scene was the dance movement where the performers try to remove their curvy hips and breasts, striving to have the body of a boy. They cleverly expose the struggle from being a tomboy as a child to having the same feelings as an adult - the social perception being that you are therefore labelled ‘female homosexual’. Mars and tarrab address these issues in a wonderful manner. They are not patronising or standing on their soapboxes, instead they take a quick-witted, original and smart approach. The result - contemporary performance at its best. This show has stayed with me for days and will for years to come. Phenomenal.
