Barefaced tales bold and brave

Seven journeys combined bravery with adversity, and limitations with triumph in a raw collection of personal and insightful Barefaced Stories at the packed New Zealand Festival Club pop-up venue on Wellington’s waterfront.

Everyday Wellingtonians, and a couple of Aussies, talked about experiences when life collided with a variety of political and social issues: such as discrimination and war.

Judith Stanley, Georgina Beyer, Thoraya Abdul-Rassol, Susie Ferguson, Avi DuckorJones, Zoe Coombs Marr and Sean O’Brien’s (Joe Blossom) journeys through doubt, defiance, fear, fatigue and survival were relatable, proving the human ability to push through obstacles.

Beyer’s openness on stage was refreshing and a highlight of the show. A true inspiration and comfortable story-teller. Beyer told the audience how being a transsexual subjected her to discrimination that led to life in the sex industry. She took the audience with her on a decision to leave New Zealand for Sydney’s Kings Cross as well as her experience with depression following a brutal rape.

Returning to New Zealand, she discovered a passion for social justice and human rights, using her experiences to become an advocate and eventually mayor of Carterton and an MP.

Not everything was a heavy, thought-provoking tale with Barefaced Stories co-creator and Australian Andrea Gibbs keeping the load light with her take on love and life.

Gibbs kept the audience laughing as she poked fun at her own failures to find a partner and diary reading from her teen-self when she tackled the concept of the perfect man.

However, Coombs Marr’s piece, while entertaining, seemed a little out of place as it began to feel like a promotion for her festival show, Trigger Warning.

The heat of the night, combined with a lack of leg-room, hard seats and little airflow made the length of the show a little unbearable and took a shine off the end. However, with mostly enthralling tales and a good dose of humour it met overall expectations.