The I thought this would feel good monologue was written by Travis Alabanza, acted by Dylan Mulvaney and directed by Tatenda Shamiso
BY NIC CROSARA, IMAGE BY STEVEN HATTON OF ELECTRIC EGG
The modernist home and studio of the painters Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, Charleston was a gathering point for some of the 20th century’s most radical artists, writers and thinkers known collectively as the Bloomsbury Group.
Launched in 2018, The Charleston Monologue is a new piece of writing commissioned by Charleston that sees its debut performance take place at Charleston Festival. The piece is written in the months preceding the festival and is always a creative response to the times we find ourselves in.
We are living in a time where trans rights have gone through a massive backslide. When trans people, especially trans women, are having their right to exist in public challenged daily. So it’s very fitting that this year’s monologue was written by award-winning trans writer Travis Alabanza, performed by trans creative and public figure Dylan Mulvaney and directed by trans director Tatenda Shamiso.
“I was inspired about what it means to receive so much anger and hate for being trans in this world and what that anger turns into, I think we expect trans people to be perfect in the face of adversity,” said Travis. “I really wanted to create a monologue where Dylan, myself and queer and trans audiences could play with anger and imagination and see what comes out.”
The monologue, titled I thought this would feel good, allows Dylan to embody space as Alex, who happens to be a trans woman, and speak to an audience uninterrupted for 30 minutes.
On 24 May, I thought this would feel good was delivered at the festival and followed by an in-conversation event with trans ally Russell Tovey.
“I actually think the job of the artist is to ignore whether or not the door is opening or closing…. I can experience the joy and the truth of having an all trans team… I can experience what that feels like and that’s what’s real, and the door of culture can carry on doing what it needs to do – and hit me on the way out, in a hot way,” Travis said during their conversation with Russell.
Find out more about upcoming events: charleston.org.uk.
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