Alison Bechdel: Drawing from Life

To celebrate Melbourne Theatre Company and Sydney Theatre Company’s co-production of the multi-Tony Award-winning Fun Home, world-renowned cartoonist Alison Bechdel joins the Wheeler Centre for a Postcards From Abroad conversation. 

Bechdel is the beloved author of three critically acclaimed graphic memoirs, Fun Home, Are You My Mother? and The Secret to Superhuman Strength. She also wrote Dykes to Watch Out For for 25 years, a slice of life comic strip that offered humourous and biting insight into lesbian culture and inspired the ubiquitous ‘Bechdel Test’ – the shouldn’t-be-so-hard requirement for a movie to feature at least two women who talk to each other about something other than a man.

Fun Home is the story of Bechdel’s childhood growing up in her family’s funeral home, and coming to understand her own sexuality alongside an awareness of her father’s closeted identity. Its groundbreaking theatrical adaptation – the first Broadway musical with a lesbian protagonist – shines new light on the experience of arriving at grown-up realisations about the parents who raised you.

In her latest work, The Secret to Superhuman Strength, Bechdel takes a closer look at her lifelong devotion to fitness. Skiing, running, karate, cycling, yoga, weight lifting – you name it, she’s tried it. With her trademark dark humour and deft referencing, Bechdel explores selfhood, self-sabotage, bliss and wonder.    

In conversation with Melbourne author, academic and comics researcher Ronnie Scott, Bechdel will discuss strength and mortality, the meaning of family – both the ones we’re born into and the ones we choose – and the experience of seeing her coming out story adapted into a worldwide smash hit musical.

The online bookseller for this event is Hill of Content

Presented in partnership with Melbourne Theatre Company

This event takes place online and is available on demand from Monday 7 February 6.30pm AEDT, until Friday 11 March 5pm AEDT.  To avoid disruption, please ensure you have finished watching by this time. The viewing period cannot be extended for those who did not view the event prior to this time.

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