Bright & Bold: Memoirs of a Desk Goblin, The Goblin Itself
The Blue Room Theatre, 7 February 2023

Did you know that in Australia there are more tattooed women, proportionate to the population, than men? Ten percent more women than men are inked.

That statistic is one reason local theatre makers Dureshawar Khan and Susie Conte have teamed up to present Bright & Bold: Memoirs of a Desk Goblin, a one-woman show that delves into the colourful and complex history of tattooing, from a feminist perspective.

Devised and performed by Khan and directed by Conte, Bright & Bold is grounded in Khan’s experiences as a former “desk goblin”, that is a tattoo shop receptionist. It’s a role in which artistry and hospitality intersect in a delicate financial transaction of wants and needs.

Significant moments in feminist tattoo history are brought to life in this well-crafted and considered dramatic piece. Shot through with stories of people overcoming barriers to excel, it’s a strong tonic for increasing humanity’s collective hope. 

Opening night jitters were quickly calmed as the performance moved beyond the lines of “pleasure and pain”.

Over 70 minutes, Khan takes the audience on a global journey, weaving together untold stories. Travelling back to the 1960s there’s Australia’s first tattooed model, 19 year old solo parent Cindy Ray Robinson from Williamstown, Victoria, who went on to found Moving Pictures Tattoo.

In Chicago we find Cliff Raven, an openly gay tattoo operator who created Chicago’s the first tattoo supply company. In homophobic 1960s USA, Raven invested huge time and effort into sterilisation practices for the industry.

Closer to home, Tattoos by Collette has been operating in Inglewood since 1979. Collette continues to provide creative inspiration on her Facebook page. 

Though the subject matter is specific, the themes are universal and recognisable – racism, discrimination, exclusion – and explored with passion and humour. It’s fascinating, too, to learn about what stimulated a shift to include women in a male-dominated industry – mostly necessity.
 
Throughout Bright & Bold, projections of carefully curated captioned photographs, some colour and some black and white, assist with transitions between stories and the progression of the narrative arc.
 
Insightful, inclusive and intimate, Bright and Bold: Memoirs of a Desk Goblin reminds us that history – if acknowledged – can resurrect and conserve art forms. And I will never see a green dot in the same light again.
 
Bright & Bold: Memoirs of a Desk Goblin continues at The Blue Room Theatre from 7 February to 11 February 2023

Pictured top is Dureshawar Khan as she takes the audience on a global journey. Photo: Mustafa Al Mahdi