UNmuted Productions present
Sometimes I Smile Politely
Written & Performed by Ness Lyons
Directed by Tutku Barbaros
On the street, at school, in work or at home, there are times in a woman's life when she feels she has no choice but to smile politely … well sod that. It's time to speak up and object to the objectionable.
Fusing spoken word, storytelling and a game of ‘sexism bingo’, Sometimes I Smile Politely is a funny & moving autobiographical exploration of the inequalities and harassment girls and women face on an everyday basis, and how they have reacted to this over the years. From beaches to law courts, Hong Kong to Hackney, student life to motherhood, from 1972 to 2017 - Ness has experienced it all and now she'd like to see a societal shift (please). Instead of expecting girls and women to smile politely in response, why can't men - and yes, sometimes other women too - just simply speak and act politely in the first place?
Part of Offbeat Festival 2017