We Repeat Ourselves

Imagine a group of actors trying to show a teenage audience unwanted erections, a vulva and two elephants, one circumcised and one uncircumcised, which magically transform into penises, without getting into a touch of hot water! Ah, but with puppets, all this and more is not only possible, but actually happening here in schools. When it comes to sex-ed, puppets rule!

The show opens with a black theatre segment to soundtrack and voiceovers where giggle making and often taboo subjects are introduced through a series of oversized puppets presented in fairly quick succession, enabling the audience to get its embarrassed sniggers, giggles, roars, hoots, gasps, etc. out of the way in the privacy of a darkened auditorium.

Cleverdick would have us believe that his S.T.D Supermarket sells a product that we must have, to be in.

The text explains the nature and range of sexually transmitted diseases and demystifies and unembarrasses the audience.

We Repeat Ourselves is a careful balance, an entertaining romp conveying a truly useful message to young audiences. A measure of its success can be seen in the fact that the girls of MLC2 asked their headmistress if after-school performances could be arranged so that they could bring their boyfriends along and thus break the ice on this most awkward of adolescent concerns. Truly enlightened and intelligent teacher that she must be, the mistress complied.

Puppetry was excellent ...a marvellous presentation ... a very successful and educational performance

The 150 puppetry objects manipulated during the performance are animated and given depth of character with skill and finesse.

We are delighted by the unanimously positive response to the show from both teenagers and adults and this success is naturally due in part, to the topical nature of the subject matter, but is also because of its good theatre, with a great deal of humour, variety and a wonderful soundtrack.

It teaches the kids of Australia all the stuff they need to know about questions that turn most adults bright pink! … To make all the Year 11 students laugh you must have been good. Even the teachers enjoyed it.

Teachers were effusive, describing the work as a 'courageous production which all adolescents need to see'3 ;'a great theatrical experience as well as a fantastic, relevant educational experience'4 and claiming that 'students were spellbound'5 , and 'engrossed by it all'6 .

one of the most imaginative and cleverly produced plays that we’ve ever seen

We Repeat Ourselves displays the deft touch of Gilly Farrelly. Without moralising or frightening, the text explains the nature and ranges of sexually transmitted diseases and contraception. As is the wont of our times, much attention is paid to demystifying and lauding the delights and unembarassed use of condoms.

While the issue of abortion is once again being avidly debated this week following Mr Justice Lindenmaeyer’s decision in the Family Court in Queensland, a group of actors from the Handspan Theatre have been presenting to adolescent children in Melbourne, an excellent production of “We Repeat Ourselves”… I am a school nurse in one of Melbourne’s large schools and I attended a performance of this excellent play this week. I am convinced that if “We Repeat Ourselves” were a compulsory part of the curriculum in all schools – state, independent and Catholic – the incidence of teenage pregnancy and abortion would decrease dramatically.

I write in regard to the article Sex Education with Clever Dick and Co (27/2/90) which was written with great irresponsibility and sensationalism ...The show is not only a valuable piece of theatrical experience, but life experience and the chance to talk and share openly because of that experience...The Advertiser article pre-empted and disturbed many students and their parents ...without heed or fairness to the show itself. This is sad if, as I suspect, it is going to restrict schools' responses to the show itself.

Despite its blatant sexual nature, ...Trina Parker said 'We Repeat Ourselves' had received no complaints during two terms of school performances in the company's home city of Melbourne, but that only two Catholic schools had sought a performance. Initial bookings show the performance has been more widely supported by independent schools in South Australia.

AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE: To acknowledge the outstanding and innovative contribution its production “We Repeat Ourselves” has made to sexuality education.