Holly Spillar’s show HOLE comes to the Soho Theatre Upstairs on 2-3 Apr at 9pm after a successful Edinburgh Fringe and Riverside Studios run.
“After a diagnosis of vaginismus, HOLE showcases the determination of one woman to achieve the basic, beige sex life of her dreams, with only a little red loop pedal for comedy … this tightly packed one-woman show was once described as Tim Minchin bumping into Kate Bush at full speed”
Ticket link: https://sohotheatre.com/events/holly-spillar-hole/
We chatted to Holly about her comedy show about a very personal topic that affects many women around the globe.
Hole is described as a”muff-busting comedy on sex, pain, and the brain” and tackles the very serious subject of vaginismus. It’s based on your own story – why make it into a show?
When I began to realise I might have, what turned out to be, vaginismus I was 19. I had never heard of it before and googling my symptoms just led to cervical cancer scare stories.
When I finally found the definition of vaginismus on the NHS website and told my GP, even they admitted they knew little to nothing about it.
I was studying theatre at the time and seeing artists like Bryony Kimmings tell their stories in vulnerable (but most importantly safe) ways to audiences, felt like something I
wanted to do.
Audience members are often clearly so relieved to hear their experiences
echoed back to them, making a show about vaginismus felt important.
Do you think that humour will help raise awareness of the condition and allow women to have a conversation about it and for men to understand it?
I think the build and release of tension that comes with comedy is cathartic.
Often, cis men come to my show because their partners suffer from vaginismus, and they want to understand.
Intimate conversations about vaginismus can be difficult at home because you have to define the condition before you can tell a loved one how it’s making you feel.
The more theatre, comedy, literature, etc, around vaginismus, the fewer people are going to have to explain it from scratch.
You play all the characters in HOLE, which considers how women are routinely sexualised in our society and how medical professionals can sometimes give the wrong advice. What message would you like the audience to
take away?
There needs to be more funding for research and education around conditions like vaginismus in our health services.
In 2024 we should not be told by doctors to “drink more alcohol” and “try harder” when we talk about sexual pain.
The number of times I’ve
heard these stories from people with vaginismus is disturbing, and it needs to change.
Do you think being more open about medical issues is a generational thing, and if so, how do you reach older people who may have vaginismus or similar issues?
I think young people are in general more able to talk about medical issues, but we still have a long way to go to break down the shame around sexual wellbeing.
I have talked to retired NHS workers at my shows before who have cried with frustration, talking about the medical gaslighting and pain bias in our health services.
I have also spoken to women who have developed vaginismus during menopause or after giving birth.
With no funding at the moment, it is hard to reach wider demographics, but I hope in the future I will be able to do more to raise awareness.
What do you enjoy most about performing HOLE?
I’ve never done a show without at least 2 people approaching me afterwards who either have
vaginismus or have realised they might have it after seeing the show.
Being able to softly educate while making people laugh is a joy. You can never know what your audience members are going through, so it’s a privilege to make them giggle.
My thanks to Holly – if you wish to read some research on vaginismus, check Google Scholar.
For more on Holly Spillar, go here.