We sat down for an exclusive interview with Heather Marshall, writer of Medusa, a contemporary retelling of the myth of Medusa set in a queer nightclub, blending theatre and rave culture.
This show runs from 6th-8th March at Summerhall – Tickets here
What drew you to the myth of Medusa and to reimagine it in a contemporary queer setting?
I had been trying to find a way to talk about Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) through theatre for years and had been through various iterations including a more autobiographical piece at the Traverse as part of their hothouse season in 2017. Nothing felt quite right, autobiographical was too raw and for some audience members too depressing.
But then a friend gave me a necklace, a gorgeous green mirrored head of Medusa with snakes curling around it. It prompted me to read more into her and I was struck by how unjust her story was. She was only ever seen in other characters myths. Poseidon sexually assaulting her, Athena punishing her for bringing shame to her temple and then Perseus cutting off her head.
Although those myths were written thousands of years ago they still felt relatable. For many PMDD develops after a trauma, so to me it felt understandable that after all Medusa had been through she would have snakes in her head.
I tend to write about what I know and so it felt natural to set Medusa in a queer space. Plus it just made sense with her origin story- all these men were constantly trying to chat Medusa up and she was having none of it.
The Greeks didn’t shy away from writing queer characters, there are so many gay and bisexual themes in their mythology and I really liked that. And whilst we were never explicitly told her sexuality I think the more I read and get to know her I think she’s on the asexual spectrum.
Medusa was never given her own myth, she only featured in others. And so I wanted to write her story and influence it with some of my own experiences.
What drew you to write this piece in Scots?
I generally write the way I speak with my friends. I love the Scots language and the rhythms within our speech patterns.
There are so many different Scottish dialects and each has it’s own unique sound and feel. Mine is Leith, so more rough than Doric or Lallans (lowlands) Scots.
It has a more punchy rhythm and is punctuated with local slang.
My dialect and style of writing has been described as contemporary Scots, which most people will be familiar with through Irvine Welsh’s work. Although I was told that I couldn’t get away with swearing like he did cos I’m a woman. Obviously they were told tae get tae fuck!
Why is it important to you to depict experiences of PMDD on stage?
I didn’t know what PMDD was until maybe 12 years ago but I’d likely been suffering with it for far longer. I remember being incredibly ill in bed, in a deep depressive state and being terrified to leave my bedroom. I didn’t understand what was happening to me and I genuinely thought I was going insane.
I had connected how I was feeling to my menstrual cycle, I was feeling that way for the two weeks before my period and I knew it didn’t feel like normal PMS.
In desperation I posted on Facebook asking if anyone else felt that way before their period. I got a lot of answers just kind of dismissing how I was feeling and telling me to get on with it, to exercise, to just eat some chocolate, none of them really understanding the severity of what I was feeling.
But then a girl I barely knew commented and said ‘It sounds like you have PMDD, you need to go to your doctor. I know it’s scary but it will be ok.’ I genuinely think that girl saved my life.
I started reading up on it and it made so much sense. I went to my doctor and they agreed it could be that but said there was no cure and sent me home with antidepressants to ease my symptoms. They didn’t really help but what did help was finding other people online and hearing about their experiences, their coping mechanisms and most importantly that they were surviving it. Because at that point I didn’t think I was going to.
Having an understanding of what PMDD is and what it did to my brain and body has helped me so much and so I wanted to find a way to talk about it. Ten years ago barely anybody had heard of the condition and I spoke on a variety of panels and wrote magazine articles about my experiences.
But it didn’t feel like enough and so I decided to do what I tend to do with most big events in my life- make a show about it.
As I said it’s taken a long time to find the right format to tell my story and in a way I’m glad it did as it’s given me the time and space to fully understand the impact of trauma on my body and also how hormonal shifts exacerbate my ADHD.
I’ve been able to include what I’ve learnt from my psychiatrist in my work and it feels far more informed than the PMDD piece I started to write many years ago.
I hope what I’m bringing to the stage is something that people can relate to and perhaps recognise themselves in.
How does the show blend theatre and rave culture together?
I think the times I’ve felt at my most free I’ve been on a dance floor. I love the feel of a bass vibrating through my body and lights do something really magical to my brain chemistry.
I’ve found there’s far less judgement at a rave or festival, people are allowed to be themselves and that’s far rarer than it should be.
Years ago there was a rave in the old Odeon cinema at Hogmanay. I remember at one point just sitting and watching people dancing and feeling like it was performance, one that I could dip in and out of. Dance or observe. It was really beautiful. Or it was until the police raided it at 9am! But I guess all good performances need a little drama…
With Medusa I wanted to create something that recreated that feeling, where the audience could observe in their own way- sit back and watch or join us on the dance floor. And that felt important for accessibility too, people need to engage in the way that works best for them, whether that’s sitting quietly, being able to move freely or lay down to ease pain.
Tell us about your collaborators on this work?
I feel really lucky as I have a bit of a dream team on this project. It took a couple of false starts to find the right people, those who had a good understanding of mental health and neurodiversity, I needed the people I was going to work with to understand that it isn’t always palatable. Disabled artists, especially those with complex mental health conditions have serious life challenges, often have messy pasts and will have made mistakes. I know I have.
Jen McGregor, the director on Medusa, has exactly that understanding. She has a really exciting multifaceted practice that spans theatre, spoken word and opera, working on both small and large scale productions. She holds a room with real care but is also nae nonsense which I really appreciate.
Andrew Eaton Lewis is our producer, he produces the Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival, as well as a breadth of other projects across theatre and dance, so has exactly the knowledge and understanding needed on a project like this.
We have Sula Castle choreographing which I am so excited about! Her work feels exciting, its unashamedly queer and raw and celebratory. And she’s definitely still in her rave era.
Conor McDonald is designing our costumes. I’ve worked with Conor for over ten years now and it’s been so exciting to see them develop not just as a designer but as a performer. Their alter ego Chanel O’Conor was on Drag Race UK season 6 where she designed and created all her own looks. He’s also made outfits for Drag Race winner Lawrence Chaney and contestants across all seasons of Drag Race UK and Versus the World.
I love Conor’s work, it’s beautifully bold and dramatic but he also knows how to do subtle well. I can’t wait to see what he creates for Medusa.
I’m really excited about the performers we’re working with- we have a cast of five performers and a chorus of queer, disabled and neurodivergent clubbers. It’s a big cast and it’s rare that happens in indie theatre anymore. I still can’t believe we got the budget for it!
Roz McAndrew, who is playing Athena, is a long time collaborator. She’s been with me through this whole process of trying to find the right way to talk about PMDD on stage and to be honest is a bit of a saint. She was with me through the solo autobiographical durational piece featuring a pinball machine and the quickly scrapped period drama about periods phase! She’s embraced each idea and ran with it, never afraid to take risks but also confident in letting me know when something isn’t working. I really value working with her.
She’s a strong performer who can really command attention and I can’t wait to see her bring Athena to life.
Tell us about how access is built into the show- with different options to accommodate audience needs?
Audiences have the opportunity to view the show in the way that works best for them. All our performances are relaxed and we encourage people to be themselves in the space, they can stim, shout or move about. They can lay down on bean bags or dance and move throughout the performance. We have a quiet space adjacent to the performance space for people who need a little time to relax or regulate.
Ear defenders and sunglasses are available for those who experience sensory overwhelm but we’re also offering a low sensory performance on the Saturday afternoon where there will be a general warm lighting state and the music will be played at a lower volume. Visual guides will be available online and in person from the Summerhall box office. These will detail what to expect from both the performance and the space and the people you may meet- from performers to FOH. Staff will be on hand to go through the guide.
I write in an audio descriptive style, it’s important to me to really build a picture through language so that visually impaired audiences have an equitable experience.
All performances will also have BSL interpretation integrated, there’s nothing worse than the interpreter being off to the side of the stage meaning the audience has to choose between watching them or the action.
Access is unique for everyone and so we encourage audiences to reach out to us when booking if there’s anything they want to discuss with us.