EDFRINGE REVIEW: Jumper Bumps (Emma Ruse Productions)

Jumper Bumps - ★★★☆☆ – Important 

Emma Ruse Productions
30 Jul-24 Aug
Review by Rebecca Mahar
 
In a playwriting debut from Perth playwright Amelia Rodger, Emma Ruse Productions bring Jumper Bumps to the Gilded Ballon Appleton Tower for a full run of the Fringe.
 
The “bumps” of the title refers to pregnancy bumps, which Eris (Rodger) imagines herself having by stuffing a jumper up her shirt. Eris desperately wants to be a mum, viewing motherhood as a woman’s highest calling and a chance to have a “redo,” making a better version of herself. Her friend and flatmate Atlanta (Katrina Allen) on the other hand has no such dreams, firmly holding to her desire to remain childfree, and the idea that “a woman doesn’t need to become a mother— it’s not our sole purpose in life.”

Katrina Allen and Amelia Rodger in Jumper Bumps. Pic: Ella Hallgren.
 
The two young women live in amiable contradiction, but things get dicey when Eris starts dating a man referred to only as “dickhead” in the play. She doesn’t want to see his controlling nature, despite Atlanta’s urging, but must face reality and difficult decisions when her greatest wish comes true under unfortunate circumstances.
 
Jumper Bumps is an important exploration of two very different perspectives on pregnancy and motherhood, how those perspectives can conflict, how abuse can twist anyone’s point of view, and how women can support each other in their differing goals.

Katrina Allen and Amelia Rodger in Jumper Bumps. Pic: Ella Hallgren.
 
The tiny Ruby theatre in Appleton Tower is a challenging space, but Rodger, Allen, and director Emma Ruse have made the most of it. The entire play takes place in the sitting room of Eris and Atlanta’s flat, on or around their sofa, with the intimacy of the venue reflecting the kind of cramped conditions two young people might share, and places the audience in the room with them. Cleverly moving through different positions to start each vignette with the aid of sound, Jumper Bumps draws the audience along through its story with a beckoning hand.
 
Rodger’s writing is layered and works hard to encapsulate all the different sides of each scenario, without judging anyone for their choices. It’s a refreshingly well-rounded look at its subject matter, and pulls open the door on conversations that everyone should be having. The script does drag at a few points, in particular when Eris is listing all the reasons why she wants to be a mother and why having children is in a woman’s DNA, and later, when Atlanta is listing all the questions she’s been asking herself when she momentarily doubts her decision not to have children. 

Katrina Allen and Amelia Rodger in Jumper Bumps. Pic: Ella Hallgren.

Both these moments are important to the story, and to the conversations it invites. However, it is wearing to have all of these things —in both cases, mostly classic lines and questions that childfree people have to endure from those who do not understand the desire not to procreate— rattled off one after the other. It’s not unheard of for people who don’t want children to have doubts, or question their choice, but Rodger has packed in a bit too much, leading to some rough edges that could be polished to retain the messaging while feeling less like a barrage.
 
While the script has a few flaws, it is beautifully performed by Rodger and Allen, who navigate its emotional rollercoaster with skill. They are believable, funny, warm, and heartbreaking in equal measure, portraying this friendship in all its imperfection, struggle, and joy. And as a debut, Jumper Bumps firmly cements Rodger as a playwright to watch.
 
Running time: One hour with no interval
Venue: Gilded Balloon Appleton Tower (Ruby)
30 July-24 August 2025
Time: 4:20pm
Tickets: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/jumper-bumps

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