Just when you thought the multi-talented Malika Elizabeth Reese's year couldn't get any better... it absolutely does.
In February, Malika was named the Wollongong Citizen of the Year for her advocacy on behalf of victim-survivors of violence. She is a singer, teacher, writer, musician, storyteller, public speaker, funeral celebrant and the leader of the Tender Funerals Community Choir.
"I want to use my words and my voice to make a positive difference in people's lives," Malika said upon receiving the city's highest honour.
Now, she's embarking on the biggest thrill and challenge of her lifetime, taking her hilarious, thought-provoking show Church of the Clitori to the Edinburgh Fringe, the world's biggest fringe festival.
"I went to Edinburgh when I was 18 as a tourist but being included in the latest fringe program – and now in their 2025 launch publicity – is mind-blowing," Malika said.
Also appearing in the award-winning show is Malika's long-time collaborator on stage, fellow First Nations artist Lillian Rodrigues-Pang from Stanwell Tops.
"At Edinburgh, with 3500 different shows, we are just a drop in the pond. But we're stoked. Just two brown women from the Gong about to appear at one of the world's biggest events. Wow!"
Great reviews across Australia
Malika and Lilli have already performed Church of the Clitori at the Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne fringes, and at Woodville, receiving multiple five-star reviews.
"This isn't just a show," Malika says. "It tackles shame, celebrates pleasure, and uplifts body autonomy and First Nations voices through comedy, cabaret and radical education.
"Think Sex and the City wrestling with The Book of Mormon in a glittery jungle.
"We describe the show as part theatre, part cabaret, part radical reclamation. It's hilarious, yes. But more than that. It's a cultural intervention. A joyful, impassioned revolution, calling out centuries of silence around female pleasure and body anatomy."
Performing in a church
Malika said getting a gig at Edinburgh was "surprisingly easy" although the great reviews for their Australian shows would have been a big plus.
"We couldn't believe the first venue we approached said yes, and it's an old church which we love. The fact that we'll be performing Church of the Clitori in an actual church is so cool. But oddly enough, the show's not preachy," Malika said.
As you'd expect from the title, this is an adults-only show and Malika says confidently there is both laughter and learning.
"People learn more when they're laughing and we bring the audience on stage. We also feel it's important men feel included."
Seeking a global breakthrough
Malika and Lilli are hoping great reviews at Edinburgh might result in the show being taken to a bigger global audience.
"We'd love to tour the show around the world with similar success to The Puppetry of the Penis, which was a smash hit everywhere it played.
"Our show has more layers than Puppetry. It's more nuanced and definitely more political," Malika said.
"We're using humour as a trojan horse. We're reclaiming joy, pleasure and power. People come for the fun, but they leave with knowledge, tears and healing. Sometimes all three."
"We welcome the curious, the clueless, the reverent and the ready-to-be-reborn," Lilli added.
Before their week at Edinburgh, starting on 2 August, the show will make its international debut at France's huge Avignon Festival.
"We don't expect to make any money from all of this. It's 100 per cent self-funded and we're just hoping audiences outside of Australia love the show just as much as our audiences at home," Malika said.
There's a live fundraiser including trivia and comedy this Saturday night (5-9pm) at Thirroul Community Centre, to support The Church of the Clitori's journey to Edinburgh (book via Humanitix). For those unable to make that event you can make a tax-deductible donation via Creative Australia.