06 March 2015 (released)
07 March 2015
e-baby, is a powerful and thought-provoking new Australian production by playwright and journalist Jane Cafarella. Opening at Chapel Off Chapel in Prahran, the play will run until the 15th March.
Since her days of editing the Accent section of The Age, surrogacy has become a very familiar topic for Jane Cafarella. In 1988, Jane interviewed Maggie Kirkman, her sister Linda carried her daughter and became the first IVF surrogate in Australia.
Set in the present day, the poignant play revolves around the lives of Catherine (Carolyn Bock) and Nellie (Sarah Ranken). Catherine is infertile and after several years of unsuccessful IVF treatments in various countries, she decides to explore the world of surrogacy. As surrogacy is illegal in London, Catherine embarks on a journey to find a potential surrogate mother online. Here she comes across Nellie, who lives in the surrogacy friendly state of Massachusetts.
Making certain they have all the legalities in place, the two women meet up in New York. Their journey is riddled with ups and downs and tension builds between the two women, who are both battling their own personal issues. Although Catherine seemingly has it all, a career, a loving husband and an international lifestyle, her want for a baby consumes her.
Considering there were only two performers, Bock and Ranken kept the narrative moving at a steady pace and drew me in with each passing scene. e-baby evokes emotion as it deals with surrogacy, infertility and they joys of motherhood. On the downside, I felt the play ended a little abruptly. Overall, a very entertaining performance.
VENUE: Chapel off Chapel, The Loft, 12 Little Chapel Street, Prahran
TICKETS: $40 full, $35 concessions, $30 group 10+, $30 preview (+ transaction fee)
BOOKINGS: www.chapeloffchapel.com.au/ticket-sales or 03 8290 7000
DURATION: 90 minutes
SEATING: General Admission. Guests are encouraged to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to performance time as a strict lockout policy applies.
