By Valerie Milano
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 9/24/2024 – Fiona Goodwin first kissed a girl at the age of eighteen in 1970. She was as shocked as anyone, and her confession to the pastor led to a failed Linda Blair-style exorcism.
The odyssey that followed included training as a nun in Italy, a starring role as Satan with a wandering troupe of missionaries in Honduras, filmsets in Hollywood, the Comedy Store in LA, and eventually a journey with ayahuasca in Peru. She redeemed herself for countless years as an inner-city teacher in the UK until her dramatic escape to the US in 2005. Her strange adventures are the inspiration for Goodwin’s one woman show that earned five-star reviews at the Edinburgh Festival 2019. Her show has also toured in various cities on the east and west coast.
A love story of epic proportions and the struggle to shed the cloak of fundamentalist Christianity are at the heart of her story. Its universal appeal is in the courage to tell the truth: everybody has a choice to keep with the status quo and live a muted version of themselves, but this memoir is a rallying cry for anyone, straight or gay, who has denied the bigger truth of who they truly are.
Goodwin’s performance of “A Very British Lesbian” at the Santa Monica Playhouse last Sunday was an unforgettable experience. She bared her soul with such raw vulnerability, weaving together moments of deep introspection and self-acceptance.
Her candid storytelling took the audience on a journey through her sexual self-discovery, filled with honesty, authenticity, and humor. Every joke, every confession, and every pause for reflection felt deeply human and relatable, making the show as poignant as it was hilarious.
It was a powerful reminder of the courage it takes to embrace one’s true self.
The show will now go to the East Coast at The Redroom in Provincetown – October 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th. Followed by the Kitchen Theatre in Ithaca, NY October 27th and 28th. To find out more about Fiona and upcoming performances, go to www.fionagoodwin.com
