an explosion of comedy and sound with a quiet and profound centre
Iron Fantasy is a play about female strength. Written and performed by Shamira Turner and Eugenie Pastor, it is a semi-autobiographical narrative that blends real life with fiction, alongside a great soundtrack composed of electronic beats, live flute, autoharp and singing. Even writing that list makes me feel a wave of awe at these two performers, who have created a production that is both hilarious and emotionally brave.
The concept is Turner and Pastor’s pursuit of physical strength, pumping iron, attending fight choreography classes and downing raw eggs (a memorable moment.) They rush from workout to workout, expounding on their experiences through quickfire comedic poetry. They put on clownish outfits, throw themselves into each new move, and pause to reflect on their girlish heroine, Xena, Warrior Princess. Within the chaos of props, brightly coloured costumes, quick asides and mock-heroic songs, questions of depth and urgency arise.
Amidst the clownish comedy, these questions hit the audience with even greater force. Why do these women want to be strong? Is it purely for the physical satisfaction of getting stronger, gaining muscle? Or is it for deeper, and more painful reasons?
The play addresses the violence, and/or threat of it, that women face daily, touching on it gently first. Towards the end the painful heart of the story is reached, a meditation on how to come to terms with grief and abuse. The cartoonish fantasy of stereotypes of female strength begin to interplay with a sense of real emotional strength from two immensely powerful women. And even more movingly, powerful women who are also normal, recognizable, and middle aged, a time of life where, as they explore in the play, women’s power often goes unrecognized.
Pastor and Turner have been astute in their use of meta-theatricality within their writing. The performers integrate the process of creating the play within the finished product, including the interviews about strength they conducted as research and references to the difficulties they experienced in trying to put on a play in the current theatrical climate. The play grows as it progresses beyond the moment of performance, drawing the audience both into the past of its creation and the future where it has done its work as catharsis for both audience and performer. It is immensely hopeful in its realization of the power of theatre to process experience. An explosion of colour, sound and surprise, the way this piece addresses trauma is both extremely clever and completely without artifice. It isn’t one to miss.
The show runs until the 21st March 2026 at Soho Theatre. The ticket link can be found here: https://sohotheatre.com/events/iron-fantasy/