Drama student and actress Tiffany Knight will be swimming against the stream on 1 September when she explores taboo subjects in theatre at the Three-Minute Thesis Competition Final.

Her research deals with theatre pieces that address real-life experiences that society doesn’t normally talk about.

Her starting point is 19 Weeks, a solo show performed by Tiffany at the 2017 Adelaide Fringe Festival.

The play recounts the real-life experience of the shows’ writer, Emily Steel, who aborted a pregnancy after her baby was diagnosed with Down Syndrome.

The entire play was staged in a pool at the Adina Hotel.

Tiffany played the role of Emily Steel and believes her friendship with the writer and director Daisy Brown were important elements in the production’s creative development and success.

Tiffany is examining the significance of friendship between collaborators who are working on stigmatised material, and seeks to find out if the ‘labour of friendship’ is a consistent element in the production of autobiographic performances.

19 Weeks won a weekly John Chataway Innovation Award and a Bank SA Best Theatre Award at the 2017 Fringe.

It was also shortlisted for the Made in Adelaide prize.

Don’t miss Tiffany’s presentation on 1 September in Law Commerce Lecture Theatre 4 at 2.30pm.

Staff and students can register their attendance via the 3MT web-page.

More information about the 3MT Final is available in Grad News.