The Mid-Life Lesbian Review

Raw, but not coarse, honest and unapologetic

Securing Emma was a coup for the Midlands Fringe, a stalwart of the Brighton and Ledbury festivals she had come to  promote her new show and book ,”Mid Life Lesbian”

Emma Clowsley is a Queer, neurodivergent writer,  bringing rural Herefordshire to urban Wolverhampton.

Performing niche content to a blended audience is always a challenge. Fortunately, her commitment to addressing Lesbian/Queer themes is matched by her determination to break down societal barriers. Crucially, she understands what makes a successful live performance. This afternoon that included gleaning material from the audience for a lesbian acrostic poem, and inviting two audience members to compete in finishing a small pot yoghurt, without utensils, using only their mouths to channel their “inner lesbian”. Event organiser Steve Pottinger gamely competed, surprising himself on his inner lesbian credentials. She effortlessly handled a rogue mobile phone ring tone too, turning it instantly to her advantage,

Her poetry did not disappoint. The content was sometimes sexually explicit, not least on the joys of scissoring. But her best poem effortlessly bridged the diverse audience- “How to  Break a Heart”. To paraphrase Dionne Warwick – anyone who had a heart would understand it. Structured, immediate, and with chiming rhymes it stood out amongst the rest. Whilst proud, she also was humorously self-effacing, as unfolded in her poem “National Trust” which gently had fun with its lesbian stereotypes.

Raw, but not coarse, honest and unapologetic, she was her own woman, drawing you into her world as seamlessly as a pair of M&S knickers (a pair of which she had lost). I liked her. I liked her poetry, and so did the audience.