Is it possible for women to grow old gracefully in a society ruled by increasingly unrealistic beauty standards and an irrational fear of showing one’s age?
Maggie McCormack wants to believe it is; but she (like many women before her) is quickly discovering that the path to self-acceptance is rarely paved with gold.
A one-woman theatre performance written and performed by Maggie, ‘F*cking Ancient’ makes its world premiere at the Adelaide Fringe and is offered as part of the Fringe’s Watch From Home programme.
Designed primarily for a female audience and inspired (in part) by Maggie’s own experiences and struggles, the show follows Maggie as she recounts emotional – often hilarious – anecdotes from her life as a podiatrist and shares her very relatable struggle to reconcile her irrational drive to mask her age with her desire to achieve body positivity and acceptance.
As the show begins, the words 'The Crone cannot expect to be accepted without first accepting herself' appear on screen. A quote from practicing shaman Anabel Vizcarra, this at first seems a strange choice of words considering the word Crone today conjures images of haggard old women or witches. But for many ancient cultures, the Crone was an older woman revered for her wisdom and looked to for guidance and this juxtaposition perfectly illustrates the show's underlying messages about how easily society’s expectations can distort our own personal definitions of beauty.
Maggie delivers an emotional and lively performance which perfectly captures myriad emotions women struggling to accept their bodies go through on a daily basis. From the almost neurotic self-negativity to the frenzied enthusiasm of fitness fads and the peaceful (often rare) moments of appreciation, Maggie’s performance is both deeply personal and universally relatable.
Despite its classification as a theatre piece there were times when the show felt less theatrical and more like a movie and for me, this method of delivery didn’t always complement Maggie’s performance. While it wasn’t my cup of tea, I can appreciate the importance of the show's messages, and there were still plenty of moments that resonated.
‘F*cking Ancient’ can be viewed from the comfort of your own home as part of Adelaide Fringe until 20 March.
