If a woman can have it all--a questionable claim in itself--does she even want it all? Describing itself as a “modern-day chick flick”, artist Larisa Faber’s play revolves around womanhood, fertility and motherhood in present-day society.

Laying her character bare--quite literally--for the audience, Faber captures the complex subject of being a childless (or childfree) woman in a world where women are told pregnancy is the key to fulfilment. Musician Catherine Konz accompanies the character on stage, providing the soundtrack to a life seemingly controlled by a biological clock. Her use of gynaecological instruments to compose the live score is brilliant: after all, is there anything as stressful as the sharp, cold and metallic sounds of a visit at the gynaecologist?

Faber’s monologue isn’t really one. How could it be when a woman’s body and thoughts are constantly questioned and replaced by her entire environment? Friends, health professionals, parents, society--everyone projects their ideals on the fertile female form. The clever use of body mapping, layering images and meaning onto her naked, inert and bound body emphasise the idea that her body never truly is her own until she reclaims it. Through this costuming technique, Faber also questions the gaze of the audience and redirects it to themselves.

One of the striking elements of Stark Bollock Naked is its pace. Though nearly an hour long, the play pulls the audience along through years of thoughts and questions in what feels like an instant. Even for those in the audience who are familiar with the experience of being a woman, every change of subject and scene is surprising. The clear and straightforward diction, the sharp writing--both contribute to the feeling of running on the spot, breathlessly remaining stuck as time flows through us.

The chemistry and alignment between Konz and Faber are undeniable. The artists manage to erase themselves, becoming canvases for the multitude of characters and ideas to hop from one artist to the other. The characters they adopt are sometimes familiar, sometimes refreshingly confusing.

The play also jumps between topics -- pregnancy, relationships, divorce, abortion--and tone, eliciting laughter and sympathetic hollers from the audience no matter the topic. Perhaps “refreshing” sounds wrong, but Faber’s discussion on abortion was deeply touching and real. She finds the right balance between making it clear that ending an unwanted pregnancy is okay, but that it can be a jarring bodily and emotional experience even in that scenario.

Stark Bollock Naked is a pleasurable experience, despite these grave subjects. It’s funny, it’s smart, it’s complex, it’s relatable. I may be biased, being the immediate target audience for the play, but Faber’s concise approach to identifying the sources of the character’s issues, and her dismantling the biological clock that ticks like a bomb, make it a lesson in empathy and understanding for all.

The play runs at Neimënster until 12 March. More information on times and tickets