Does My Fanny Look Big in This? tackles sex education, validates sexual anxiety, and deals with sexual trauma while answering questions you’ve always been a little too embarrassed to ask.
Sheffield-based writer and performer Eleanor May Blackburn explores the sexual world through spoken word, uncomfortable noises, an inflatable sex doll, (bad) singing, anxiety and a limerick.
The idea for her new autobiographical show came to Eleanor after she covered a sex education class at school where she said the pupils “just wanted someone to talk to and be open with them.”
The show comes in the form of children asking their teacher questions about sex and Eleanor answers their questions as honestly as she can, but she also addresses the audience with added details she wouldn’t want to tell the children.
When asked what she wished she had been taught in sex education in school, Eleanor told Exposed: “I think if people in school had just let me ask questions and be honest with me that would have been so much better.”
“The whole takeaway from my show is asking questions, and it is about the answers and sharing the answers with each other to the questions that you might have about sex. I think asking the questions in the first place is the most important part, so people actually start discussions around sex and can say the words.”
This is Eleanor’s second autobiographical solo show, written originally for a scratch night called Ladies of Liberty by Liberty Rep Theatre Company in Manchester in 2020. With support from Sheffield Theatre’s Bank Cohort in 2023, Eleanor developed this into a full-length piece because she felt there was more to be said about sex anxiety and sex education.
Eleanor said: “There is talk of sexual trauma and a particular experience of mine in the show and I think this is another reason we need to talk about sex as much as we can, to make survivors of sexual harassment, abuse and trauma feel like they can speak out about it if they want to and to understand they did nothing wrong.”
“To normalise sex conversations and what sex actually means from a young age is to help survivors know that what happened to them is wrong but they are not the ones to blame.”
Eleanor is no stranger to using comedy as a way to discuss tough subjects with her first solo show, Subdural Hematoma, being about her experience of a brain injury and stroke.
Eleanor explained: “It was tricky because people didn’t know whether they could laugh because I was talking about pooing myself in hospital and stuff and it was really making people question if they can laugh at all.”
“I think humour and comedy are just such a great route into these important and difficult topics because it’s so much more approachable if people are laughing.”
Does My Fanny Look Big in This? has headlined Leeds Poetry Festival and received multiple 4-star reviews at the Edinburgh Fringe. It is now set to land at Theatre Deli in Sheffield as part of its five-venue tour.
An audience review from the Edinburgh Fringe said: “Bold, brave, honest. This show explores the questions we’re all too often afraid to ask and reminds us we’re never too old to be curious. Funny, powerful, and thought provoking, it’s the sex ed lesson you never had in school.”
I think humour and comedy are just such a great route into these important and difficult topics because it’s so much more approachable if people are laughing.
Eleanor said: “I love the North and northern heritage and Sheffield as a city is so creatively diverse and the art scene in Sheffield is wonderful. I’m a supported artist at Sheffield Theatres and it’s just so amazing to be in that environment.”
Does My Fanny Look Big in This? is showing at Theatre Deli, Sheffield between 16th – 23rd February 2024. Tickets can be bought here.
It will also be touring at four other venues in the UK:
Kings Arms Salford 21st Feb
The Blue Orange Theatre Birmingham 1st March
The Holbeck Warehouse Leeds 6th April
Catford Mews London 9th May