Award-winning writer, broadcaster and feminist Clementine Ford has made quite a name for herself as one of Australia’s most prominent feminist commentators. She has released three best-selling books and has gained hundreds of thousands of followers across her social media.
After the success of her most recent book, How We Love: Notes on Life, Clementine has taken this exploration of love in its many forms to the stage, along with her talented friend and celebrated musician, Libby O’Donovan.
The show entitled, Love Sermon is a secular sermon on matters of the heart, as it looks at all the ways that love manifolds into our lives. For several years Clementine has been one of Australia’s most provocative feminists, making public appearances and writing columns that were branded as angry and “man-hating”.
However, following a challenging beginning to motherhood and a relationship break-up, she began to tire of the endless controversy and hostility.
In this powerful and uplifting show, Clementine and Libby will have you laughing, weeping, and cheering as they take you on a life affirming exploration of love and the powerful ways it makes its home in our hearts.
“The Love Sermon is a life affirming celebration exploring the ways we hope, the ways we connect, the ways we grieve and yes, the ways we love. We mistake romantic love for being the only kind of love that matters, but this is just one small part of human connection,” said Clementine.
“Our Love Sermon will have you laughing and weeping in equal measure, but most of all it will remind you that the gift of loving in all its messy complexities is at the heart of what it means to be alive,” Clementine added.
“I believe love is the greatest four-letter word of all time. We dedicate songs, poetry, paintings, and our entire lives to it. Love Sermon weaves together the beauty of music and the power of spoken word to celebrate all the facets of love,” said Libby.
Clementine Ford is a writer, broadcaster and feminist community builder living in Naarm/Melbourne. She is the bestselling author of the feminist manifestos Fight Like A Girl and Boys Will Be Boys, which have also been published to great acclaim in the UK and the US.
In 2017, she won the Matt Richell Award for Best New Writer of the Year at the ABIAs. Her most recent book is How We Love: Notes on a life.
Libby O’Donovan is a ‘powerful and sassy performer’ (SMH), renowned for her nuanced interpretations and extraordinary voice. She is a critically acclaimed Jazz and Cabaret performer and an award-winning Musical Director.
Libby has entertained audience’s world-over with her unique talents, performing in New York, Tokyo, and Toronto as well as Australia-wide. Equally at home in small ensemble acts as well as solo performances, she has been a proud member of ARIA nominated Coco’s Lunch, Flat on Your Bacharach, and Women With Standards, for which she won a Green Room Award for Musical Direction.
Libby has performed seasons for the Adelaide Festival of Arts, Edinburgh Fringe, Sydney Spring Festival, Perth International Arts Festival, the International Jazz Educators Convention, Adelaide Cabaret Festival (including working with Broadway composers Jason Robert-Brown and Andrew Lippa), Melbourne Fringe, Adelaide Fringe, Feast Festival, and this year performed across India as part of the Hindu Festival
Love Sermon will tour across New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria throughout October and November this year. For more information including performance dates and venues, visit: www.lovesermon.com for details.
Image: Clementine Ford and Libby O’Donovan (supplied)