The 'C' Word

On Monday, I had the opportunity to watch Vagina Monologues at the Palace Theatre. To be honest with you, I didn't know what to expect - I knew that it was going to be about a woman's private parts (What gave that away, I wonder?), but essentially, I thought it was going to filthy, hyped-up rubbish. But hey, I got tickets on the cheap, so I went.

As six of us (four women and two either very brave or very stupid men) walked towards the theatre, we were witness to a sea of sisterhood buzzing in anticipation. The show was only going to be in the city for four nights, and a quarter of Manchester's female adult population was at the lobby of the theatre, ensuring they got to see it before it moved to the next city on the tour schedule.

We quickly got settled in our seats and I braced myself for the worst. And how wrong I was! The Vagina Monologues was fantastic - it was not only eye-opening, it was liberating and empowering. It was all about humanity, about women who for whatever reason, denied their sexuality, instead of embracing it. There were parts where I was laughing so hard I was crying, and other parts where I was crying because of women's harrowing stories.

It made me understand the bondage women feel about not being able to break from conformity and culture, and made me appreciate the power of the human body and the human mind. In the end, we all want to feel freedom and satisfaction in whatever we do in life; it is unfortunate that so many women lead a life that deny them these rights.

The only thing I detested about the show was when Nikki Sanderson (who played Candice in Coronation Street) started talking about the 'C' word. I never liked the word, and no matter how excellently she executed that part of the monologue, I remained tight-lipped (no pun intended!) as she cajoled the audience to say the word out loud.

Call me a prude - but there are just some things I'm not going to compromise. I was free to do so, but I choose not to excercise that right. I guess sometimes, you just can't have it all.