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A Scottish comedian says she made six men faint and eleven “walk out” out of her Edinburgh Fringe show after making light of a potentially deadly health condition that she initially put down to a heavy period.
Marjolein Robertson, 34, from Shetland, bravely discussed her experience of a rare condition known as adenomyosis – not to be confused with endometriosis – which causes the lining of the womb to grow into its muscles.
Symptoms include heavy bleeding during periods, and that is what Robertson put it down to until she discovered that she had actually experienced an internal haemorrhage at the age of 16.
The comedian, who frequently discusses the trials and tribulations of being a woman, was then forced to spend three days in hospital recovering from the ordeal which required her to have two life-saving blood transfusions.
Now almost two decades on from the experience, she is raising awareness of the condition through her show O, which comes with a trigger warning for “distressing or potentially triggering themes”.
The content of the show is hinted at through its poster, which features an upside-down Robertson appearing to bathe in blood.
She told The Independent: “We have actually had six fainters if you include previews. As of two days ago, it’s 11 walkouts.
“Sometimes when we are talking about my condition, there’s no comfortable way to describe it.”
In a previous interview with the Metro, she said: “We’ve had three men faint at shows and another nine people leave. Of the nine early risers, seven of these were men... It’s usually when I’m talking in the latter half of the show.
“The thing that really triggers people is talking about my injections, talking about the implant, talking about my condition, adenomyosis and how it rips open the muscles, and I haemorrhage from the inside of my body.
“Two men have had to run out on the word hysterectomy, which I think is very funny.”
The comedian ultimately made the executive decision to “tone down talking about the medical practices”, as she wants her audience to be able to enjoy the entire performance.
“I’ve had to tone down talking about the medical practices for people’s comfort because I’d rather they see the whole show,” Robertson continued.
“But it’s interesting because the show is meant to be about how much I suffer and all the blood loss.
“Even then, I’m toning down my own experience for the comfort of the audience.
“But it’s trying to find that balance of, ‘Cool I’ll make it a bit less visceral for you’, but I also need you to know what’s going on and why it isn’t right that so many people are struggling with this.”
Robertson said that her decision to speak out about the condition, which the NHS reports typically effects women over 30, has resonated with those who have had the more unusual experience of being diagnosed earlier in life.
She added: “There are so many young teenagers too, who when they go to the doctor about adenomyosis get told, ‘You don’t get that until your 30s and 40s’, whereas we’re seeing it happen time and time again.
“An audience member came up to me yesterday after the show and said, ‘I just want you to know that I had the same experience as you – but I was 11.’”
The show O is running at Monkey Barrel Comedy until 25 August.
