Tiffany Lyndall Knight in 19 Weeks. Image: Marshall Arts
Playwright Emily Steel said previously that writing the autobiographical play 19 Weeks may have ended her career. It’s pretty safe to say it’s thriving.
19 Weeks is an exceptional piece of theatre, a one-woman show performed by Tiffany Lyndall Knight who portrays Steel and the emotional turmoil she experiences in her decision to terminate her baby at 19 weeks after discovering it has Down Syndrome.
The play was performed in the swimming pool at the Adina Hotel complex in Melbourne’s CBD, and as soon as you enter, a strange sense of calm envelops you as you’re met by Knight standing by the pool. It’s odd, this tranquility, especially when you consider the heart-wrenching emotional content you’re about to watch.
This is a completely intimate performance. The front row of the audience has their feet dangling in the pool, and there’s no escape from the vulnerability and intensity of emotion during the performance.
Delivered as one long monologue, Knight shares Steel’s thoughts throughout her journey: from the initial pregnancy discovery through to the harrowing wait while tests determine whether or not the baby has Down Syndrome, up until after the abortion. It’s easy to feel like a friend is telling you this story, as Knight often glances at audience members throughout her delivery, which is powerful given the close confines of the performance space.
Throughout the 70 minutes, we’re thrust into Steel’s world, her relationship with her loving partner Chris and their son Frank, too young to understand why Steel’s unborn baby won’t be able to come out and play with him. There’s also Steel’s uncle, who had Friedreich’s Ataxia (a genetic disorder that causes progressive damage to the nervous system) along with intellectual disabilities, and was raised up until his death by her grandmother. These revelations give us considerable insight into why Steel has made the decision she’s made.
Minimal in its delivery, 19 weeks works because there’s nothing to focus on except Knight’s raw performance of Steel’s story. The room is lit by soft lighting and illumination of the pool, with composer Josh Belperio’s piano providing a contemplative mood as an accompaniment to Steel’s journey.
Knight’s monologue is punctuated by her movement underwater and her floating on an inflatable ring. This works well to segment the various stages of Steel’s pregnancy, the frustration and anguish she feels waiting for hospital results, doctors, and phone calls to confirm the unborn baby’s condition. It’s difficult to imagine how the work would translate in the confines of the theatre.
Ultimately 19 Weeks provides the opportunity for us to have an important discussion because Steel took a risk in creating something so personal, and for that, I think there’ll be many women who are thankful.
5 stars ★★★★★
19 Weeks
By Emily Steel
Creatives
Writer and Producer: Emily Steel
Nescha Jelk: Director
Josh Belperio: Composer
Cast: Tiffany Lyndall Knight
Original 2017 production directed by Daisy Brown
13-18 September 2018
Adina Apartment Hotel, Melbourne
This article was amended on 26 September to reflect the fact that Emily Steel’s uncle had Friedreich’s Ataxia, not Down Syndrome.
