Endometriosis is a condition that affects one in nine people who menstruate and Adelaide comedian, writer and teacher Libby Trainor Parker is one of them.
After a lifetime of misdiagnoses and medical gaslighting, the award-winning cabaret performer finally became ‘endo official’ when she was 36-years-old and has since dedicated her life to educating, informing and ‘endo-taining’ people.
Despite there only being six shows on offer for the cabaret that has sold out each of its three consecutive Adelaide Fringe seasons and took out the Fringe Weekly Award for Best Cabaret in 2021, it’s not the endo the road for Libby and her chronic pun fun.
Her long-awaited (it’s only her mum who’s been long-awaiting it) memoir Endo Days: Life, Love and Laughs with Endometriosis will be hitting shelves mid year, published by Wakefield Press.
“There has been so much pain and heartache from this chronic, incurable illness, but there has also been plenty to be grateful for,” Libby says. “I live with mobility issues and debilitating pain every day. My husband Matt and I suffered fertility issues, including eleven pregnancy losses, but we have worked hard to turn every negative into a positive and channelled our hurt into creativity and comedy to reach out to a community of people affected by this disease.
“Through the book, the cabaret show and PPEP Talk (Periods, Pain and Endometriosis Program) the schools program I co-wrote with Pelvic Pain Foundation Australia, I’ve been able to share my knowledge, experiences and some choice jokes about endo with thousands of people who generally feel isolated by this illness. We want to build a community so people impacted by endo can feel empowered enough to advocate for themselves and each other.”
The show that has critics raving (“If only public health education campaigns were this good - The Advertiser) will open on February 18, playing for the first three weekends of Fringe at the endo-friendly time of 4pm. It also conveniently kicks off endometriosis awareness month: EndoMarch.
Endo Days at The Lark, Gluttony
Sat 18 Feb - Sun 19 Feb: 4pm
Sat 25 Feb - Sun 26 Feb: 4pm
Sat 4 Mar - Sun 5 Mar: 4pm
Tickets HERE