A joyous homage to the female experience, 10A: The Fitting Room follows a bra fitter as she recounts the people she encounters and her journey living through and leaving an abusive relationship. Written, directed, and performed by Eliza Allen, this show explores the breadth of what it means to be female — from nervous first bra fittings to finding solace in friendship when every other part of your life seems to be falling apart.
Allen describes herself as a “full-time feminist, part-time bra fitter,” and this sentiment shines through the entirety of the performance. She proclaims that being a feminist is not about being strong and powerful all the time, but about accepting being human and flawed and persevering anyway.
As Allen recounts her life inside and out of the fitting room, each female character gets given a bra suiting their personality which is then put on a hanger. For me, this is a beautiful way to celebrate the female experience as something limitless, freeing and celebratory. Similarly, this normalisation of bras — alongside watching Allen’s character mature — allows for a reflection of the power of finding and exploring one’s sexuality. Often seen as a taboo subject, this performance simply accepts all women (and their bras) as they come, a feature which we need more of in this world.
Most discussions about female sexuality tend to mention men — in this performance, men are portrayed as multifaceted, disproving the baseless stereotype that feminists are simply ‘man haters.’ For example, Allen recounts her character’s experience of becoming trapped in an abusive relationship and how controlling and manipulative this boyfriend is. In contrast, she commends a man who comes into her shop trying to find lingerie his wife will feel “confident and comfortable” wearing.
Allen’s performance is controlled, powerful, and empowering, and this show is the perfect way to start a day at the Fringe.
10A: The Fitting Room is running until 30 August at Just the Spare Room at Just the Tonic. Buy tickets here.
Image by Lily Barrett Photography, provided to The Student for press use.
