Daughters of Eve is a single performer piece written and performed by Sarah Kwong in the intimate, patron perfect setting of the Goodwood Theatre. Via stories in the Old Testament of Biblical women, Eve, Bathsheba, Sarah et al we are presented with a parallel emotional spectrum of Christian teaching with regard to the roles that women should (must?) play. Our modern day Sarah tempers these firmly cemented attitudes with stories that amplify the realities of everyday experiences for today’s young women living in today’s world. In so doing she reveals how her Christian upbringing shaped and guided her own life experiences.

Sarah uses Biblical quotes and words, at least some with poignant connotation such as obedience, surrender, submit and fear! Such choice of language underpins the absolute autocratic control that religion of so many persuasions brings to bear on our most basic of human needs, to love and be loved unconditionally. She leads us through the emotional minefield of first love and the hope-filled promise of marriage and its oft played out disappointments. Sarah reflects on the Christian Youth Group phase and, specifically, an organised scavenger hunt through town as well as a relationship with a young controlling (grooming?) pastor. What an appropriate metaphor for our inevitable searching for meaning, our yearnings and ultimate choices. She speaks of the shame that infertility can bring and then the pain, absolute terror and harrowing trauma of a miscarriage and how those indelible life events can be interpreted by Christian teaching and expectation. In so doing she highlights the conditioned fear of failure as a wife, as an expected bearer of children. All of Sarah’s stories are told both as direct narrative or by songs (mostly self-written) for which she accompanies herself with either guitar or ukulele.

I found Sarah’s presentation very amenable, accessible and totally “user friendly”. There was no “shout it from the rooftops” feminism here and her tone throughout was nicely pitched. I could readily empathise with her views on all matters traversed. Her vocal and musical delivery were smoothly controlled and she easily commanded our attention for the duration of her hour long performance. Sarah concludes on an affirmation of hope.” The best is yet to come!”  I liked that and I liked her.