KIM'S SHOW GOES ON!

"Altar Boy To Girl" 

is a theatrical presentation by Kim Miles, a gender 

diverse filmmaker, artist and performer. Kim has 

sent us these reflections about her show which she 

performed to small audiences at The Butterfly Club 

from 10th to 15th January.

Each night as the audience entered the theatre I sat on a chair backstage, the red curtain wide open so I could see them and they could see me. It was a Zen thing, as in we are the same, I’m watching you as you watch me. Twenty years since I last performed I had six nights of a solo show.

The lights went down and a film clip started, I removed my top and stepped on stage in just a pair of whitefront underpants mirroring the male in the film and removing them when he removed his. The clip ended, the lights went up and naked I turned to face the audience revealing my gender affirmed female form. 

When I first conceived this theatrical idea it was too 

good to dismiss no matter how confronting.

Art is not art without risk.

It was a gesture of giving and vulnerability, it was punk 

and political. It was a gender diverse body and not 

something to be angry or anxious about.

Using multimedia I went on to tell stories of my

childhood, time in the military, death, chronic illness,

gender variance and art.

When I had retrieved pictures from my childhood I was struck by my serious and direct gaze into the camera dressed in my white confirmation gown. I started to have feelings of dread and anxiety, thinking it was due to having to perform, but when I had some angry dreams and cramping calves I realized I was dredging up some old trauma, even though the show was mostly comedic!

The mechanics of performing solo for sixty minutes were complex and amazing. As the evenings passed my mind and body became more and more open and alive, I was playful and felt happy. I had closed up and become smaller over the Covid years and wondered if poor old Melbourne was similarly afflicted. 

How do we get our joy back, and our inner child. Jokers, Fools and Artists play a vital role. They prick the serious bubble and lead us back to life and laughter.

At the start of the lockdowns I thought we should have a Minister for Morale and a dedicated TV channel screening nonstop music, dance, comedy and art to keep us buoyant.

The Butterfly Club should be commended for enabling artists with little money to get in front of an audience and be creative. From our percentage of ticket sales the director, lighting/multimedia technician and myself received $150 each for devising, rehearsing and performing the show.

kimmilesfilms@hotmail.com

mob 0415177099