Wrest: Unmasking The Thrilling Mystery Of Monstrous Motherhood

Kiwi mums Ella Becroft and Tor Colombus are both acclaimed performing artists. This year, they combine those two worlds to create a new theatre show that explores motherhood's hidden, darker side.

Their new show, Wrest, combines physical theatre, contemporary dance, and surreal imagery. Wrest is a crime thriller, centred on a missing woman and an uncanny doppelgänger. The unfolding mystery lays bare the mundane and sometimes monstrous reality of early motherhood.

"What we have come to accept as 'normal’ birth can be deeply disturbing for many women. The transformative experience of pregnancy, birth, and motherhood doesn't match pervasive cultural narratives. When having a baby, women are expected to transition with ease—to transform into a completely new self that can seem at odds with who they know themselves to be. I felt like I became a stranger, a doppelgänger of my child-free self.." - Ella Becroft says of motherhood.

This project combines the cast and creative teams' personal experiences of pregnancy, birth, and motherhood with scientific, medical, and psychological insights to illuminate this often hidden experience. In doing so, Wrest allows the audience to form a deeper understanding and empathy for a universal experience that will have directly affected themselves or someone they love.

"In the rehearsal room for Wrest, there were moments where a parent would tell a story about the unexpected struggle of motherhood, the moments of rage, and the physical pain of it, that they had never spoken out loud before." Says Tor Colombus, "There is a power to a woman sharing her authentic experience, and we hope this show will empower others to do the same."

The show encourages audiences to reevaluate their perceptions of motherhood and to support women in their journeys. Wrest is a raw and unflinching exploration that challenges societal expectations of motherhood and offers a powerful reflection of the female experience.

Wrest runs from the 6th - 14th June
Q Theatre, 305 Queen Street, Auckland CBD
Tickets at redleaptheatre.co.nz/production/wrest/

© Scoop Media