Giving generously with laughter and female strength in 'M-Othering'

Nurture versus nature becomes nurturing nature in Chess Dillon-Reams’ autobiographical work, drawing on her relationships with the women in her life. It might sound self-indulgent, but M-Othering is anything but.  Detailing the endless ups and downs of female lives and friendships, Dillon-Reams offers a gorgeously sensitive work that bounces off humour and love.

Image: Martha Canning in M-Othering | Photographer: Josh Hawkins

A plain stage lined with plants in one downstage corner immediately echoes a florist’s boutique. Only women occupy the stage throughout, and rather sweetly, Dillon-Reams’ two brothers are singled out in two tiny plant forms. But it’s not just the plants that get watered, the humans do too. As Dillon-Reams' best friend, Martha Canning, waters her fellow dancers their legs extend upwards in gentle growth. This maternal act, however, is reversed as the role of motherhood is challenged. When water is poured over Dillon-Reams, lying exhausted on the floor, M-Othering questions the central role of someone who is always giving. A mother is pointedly absent throughout the piece, Dillon-Reams phoning who we can only assume is her absent mother in quieter moments. We see mothers in the women who appear on stage, largely through Dillon-Reams’ role as a dance teacher, in Canning, of a similar age to Dillon-Reams, and mature performer Ellie Kavner, who Dillon-Reams turns to for advice. Finding the maternal across a range of relationships is a beautiful premise and a refreshing break from the popularised mother figure, celebrating feminine strength and bonds.

Image: (Left-right) Olive Engler, Chess Dillon-Reams & Milly Bajpai in M-Othering | Photographer: Josh Hawkins

If M-Othering sounds serious, its theatrical humour and wit back choreography that switches from goofy to richly expressive. Spoken word is mixed with movement to a hilarious degree, with Dillon-Reams metaphorically relating the choreographic process to making a baby, scenes of adolescent drama playing out with Dillon-Reams comforting her student Milly Bajpai about an upcoming date, or hiding in a wardrobe from Bajpai and her other young protégé Olive Engler. Each performer’s personalities come out in charismatic acting, the movement digging into emotional qualities and complexities. This delightful mix of drama, humour and dance casts a light on its sweetest moments, but makes its lonelier, desperate ones darker. M-Othering exposes the hardest part of being someone who never stops giving alongside the blessings that come with it, as Dillon-Reams slowly retreats from the people around her into an invisible bubble. Witnessing Canning’s persistence in reaching Dillon-Reams is a reminder of the importance of platonic bonds and the power that comes with them. Gradually building to an uplifting finale, M-Othering’s stage is filled with a community of women, centred around raising a child and supporting each other. 

Tender without oversentimentality and unafraid to broach the darker pitfalls of women’s lives, M-Othering breaks expectations of who can be motherly. Its intergenerational aspect makes clear the timeless nature of female communities, encouraging its viewers to treasure the incredible women that we know in our daily lives.