Esther Manito: Slagbomb (Work in Progress)

Esther’s new hour, “Slagbomb,” takes a nosedive into the awkward sandwich years of life. The phase when youthful freedom meets the reality of adult responsibilities. It’s a time when one finds themselves juggling everything from prostate checks to hosing faeces off the garden decking, whilst clad in questionable footwear like crocs. Then one day it dawns on Esther that she was in the most unglamourous phase of her life. Growing up she imagined she would fulfil all the expectations of a lady, poised and dignified, but looking around she realises that just hasn't happened. 

Esthers life seems to be a magnet for embarrassing moments and endless cockups. No matter how hard she tries to project sophistication, she often ends up highlighting her unrefined side. Yet her husband doesn't seem to feel any need to be dignified, so why does dignity have such control over her? After Esther's last show "Hell Hath No Fury" she decided to embrace her label as an " angry woman" and now she wants to accept her lack of dignity whether it’s her less-than-graceful posture, cringe-worthy encounters with shady drug deals, or the painful realities of waxing gone wrong in her new tour "Slagbomb".

Life, as Esther shows, is rarely as elegant as it might appear from the outside. By sharing her own awkward experiences, she challenges the notion that we must always present our best selves. Esther lays bare the awkwardness that comes with the sandwich years, inviting the audience to share in her embarrassment and rejoice in the freedom in rejecting dignity. 

At its core, Esther’s hour is an exploration of the challenges and hilarities of navigating the sandwich years. Esther invites the audience to reflect on their own lives, reminding them that it’s perfectly okay to stumble along the way. With a Lebanese father dealing with war, a mother dealing with cancer, two kids (who seem to have permanently lost their PE kit) a husband who just wanted some birthday nooky and a sudden loss of hearing all highlights the messy, chaotic, and often hilarious moments that make up the journey of a right Slagbomb. 

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