Sweet Child of Mine

‘Sweet Child of Mine’ is an experimental performance, devised by Warrnambool’s Bronwyn Batten, which won an award at the 2011 Melbourne Fringe Festival. Bron, who trained in Contemporary Dance and Performance, is now in her late twenties.

This very unusual, 55-minute show can be seen at PICA Performance Space, in the Perth Cultural Centre, James Street, Northbridge each evening at 7.45 until 8^th February.

       A pretty, well-endowed young girl dressed in what at first glances is a man’s white vest and Y-fronts enters the empty stage and starts her contemporary dance warm up routine. Then, with a twinkle in her smiling eyes, she stops and brushes back her mass of crimped hair.

      She explains how she studied theatre at university, and now wishes to show us a series of interviews that she recently carried out with her parents. The lights dim and the huge back wall cyc. lights up to show a video of her parents sitting on a comfortable couch.

      Bron then asks a series of questions that all theatre students would be wary of asking, such as ‘What did I study at Uni?’ The blank expression on her mother and father’s faces was followed by a lengthy pause. ‘Well dear, it was theatre – not proper theatre but that other stuff!’ was the reply made with great love.

Almost every acting student will have suffered the answers and lack of understanding of their art. Bron then asks her father, Jim, to come onto the stage and entertain the audience with his banter and ‘Dad’ jokes, whilst she changes.

Her father is a shy and nervous man with a great deal of pride for all of his family – but although his spirit is strong, his performing skills are minor. Bron’s daring approach – and on one occasion she was daring - must be admired.

The show is rough at the edges, filled with love and gives us a real insight into the likely relationship of many actors with their parents. A good heart-warming laugh.