Review: AUTISM MAMA, Soho Theatre
Photo credit: Jiksaw
Once again, Soho Theatre brings a delightful solo show that gives the audience much more than they expect. In Autism Mama, Josephine Lacey gives a brilliant heartwarming and hilarious “sex education” - by which, we mean a very non-sexual masturbation handbook - that everyone is guaranteed to learn something from.
After a successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this summer, Lacey brings her solo show back to her hometown of London, where she’s been establishing her career since 2008. This 56-year-old mother and new grandma (congratulations! ) invites us to the centre of her family life. Being a mother to two sons, Lacey is no stranger to puberty and the physical changes that teenage boys go through. Her 17-year-old son Callum is autistic and going through puberty. Seeing his struggle, she decides to help him in the best way she knows: by giving him a thorough sex education, something many parents find hard to discuss with their teens. Lacey’s sex ed is different. It needs to be visual, honest, and easy to follow. This show not only brings educational value in a humorous, digestible, human way, but it shows the love of a mother who’s willing to ‘grow a balloon penis’ for her child. It brings an honest look at the challenges and joys of parenthood.
Lacey’s lovely presence wins the audience over immediately. The interactive nature of Lacey’s storytelling pulls the audience close to her, like we’re old friends catching up over a glass of wine on her sofa. The audience is diverse, from different races to different age groups, everyone is engaged in her storytelling. You don’t have to be a mother to understand her story. Her freedom and ease make the audience breathe with her while she takes us through this (in her own words) “glorified wank story”.
Not only is the show hilarious, but it shines a light on the experience of navigating through parenting neurodiverse children. The show is straightforward, just like Lacey’s delivery, to the point and without any unnecessary decor, because, frankly, she doesn’t need any. Her wit is enough to hold the audience for the full 60-minutes. Among many wonderful stories on neurodiversity this year at the Fringe, this one is unique, lighthearted, and insightful. By the end of the show, we all wish we had a friend, a mother, a G (grandma- in her words), or a sex education teacher like Lacey. It is an experience you cannot miss.
***** Five stars
Reviewed by: Diana Feng
Autism Mama plays at Soho Theatre until 16 November, with further info here.
