Showing @ Summerhall, Edinburgh until Sun 24 Aug @ 20:15

Sister is a frank exploration of sex, the sex industry, womanhood and ultimately two sisters’ (Amy and Rosanna Cade) relationship. Caught between ‘types’ of femininity, Sister breaks down our preconceptions surrounding these. In this overwhelmingly honest portrayal we see how in the struggle to define herself in what remains a relatively conservative and patriarchal society, a woman will shock, shame and hurt. It is about finding the space and voice to be who you want to be, who you are – as Amy says ‘I want to be loved for who I am, I want to express myself without censorship.’

We are intimately involved in the production from the very beginning. Its strip club setting extends outward into the audience and Amy and Rosanna, both dressed in black leather underwear, transparent platform heels and an auburn wigs, mingle amongst the crowd before stripping onstage.

The image of a hypersexual world is thrust in the faces of the audience, and we are challenged to make some kind of judgement. Both challenged to find it distasteful because of its graphic content, and to find it artistic just because of its dramatic context. Amy and Rosanna expose the complexity of such a world and a woman’s position in relation to it. The sex industry and feminism are not antithetical, as Amy says, ‘yes I believe you can still be a feminist and like getting cum on your face.’

Amy is a sex worker and Rosanna is a lesbian. Reductive and bristling with provocative associations these labels form the basis of the show. Amy and Rosanna unpack their identities with a bluntness that is at first disconcerting but quickly becomes emotionally powerful. This production addresses what, as a society, we are still embarrassed to address. Choreographed with sensitivity, it is beautiful, painful and highly thought provoking.

Showing as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2014