And Also With You

From the age of 0-18, Simon Vaughan was a Christian. Not just the ‘tick the box on the census form’ kind but the ‘attend church every week, read your Bible every day (or at least feel guilty if you don’t), constantly praying’ kind. For 18 years, church was everything from an extended family, to a school to a dating service.

And Also With You is a storytelling adventure that recounts the good, the bad and the ‘peace be with you’ of growing up when you FROG (fully rely on God). From youth group camps to purity pledges it’s about living with the weight of original sin on your shoulders and the eventual choice to cast if off.

The show is about growing up a Christian, grappling with life’s biggest questions and finding your place in the world. When Simon was a Christian, all his non-Christian friends thought his faith was weird and confusing. When he left the church at 18, all his Christian friends were devastated and wanted to know what went wrong. The show explains himself to both groups.

A church service without all the boring stuff, And Also With You takes you inside church walls to find out what life is really like when Jesus is your best friend.

Review

“And Also With You is a thought provoking, nostalgic reflection on Simon Vaughan’s life lived in the Christian church, and his journey to walking away…

The church service setting meant something different for everyone in the audience based on their own personal experiences with the church – uncomfortable, reminiscent of childhood, welcoming or hostile. Vaughan put everyone, no matter their background, at ease through his easy-going demeanor, self-deprecating jokes and funny photos of himself as a teen, and emphatic respect of all in the room. Unlike many other stories of this ilk, And Also With You is not built on anger or rage, but rather genuine reflection on growing up, figuring out personal identity, and determining what from childhood to leave behind.”

About The Artist

Simon Vaughan – Writer/Performer

Simon is a writer, performer and theatre maker. And Also With You is his second solo show, which began its life with a sold out run at the Bondi Festival. His first solo show Animorphed was the winner of both the Emerging Artist Award and a Fringe Weekly Award – Highly Commended for Theatre at the Adelaide Fringe in 2014 and also had soldout seasons at Bondi Feast 2017 and the Sydney Fringe 2013. He is a co-founder of performance collective Applespiel, with whom he has co-created and performed in many works including Return To Escape From Woomera (Performance Space, Arts House, Canberra Theatre Centre), Applespiel Make a Band and Take on the Recording Industry (Malthouse Theatre, Performance Space), Sexy New Urban Design Team (Sydney Festival), Executive Stress/ Corporate Retreat (Edinburgh Fringe, Adelaide Fringe) and Snail Piece (Festival of Dangerous Ideas). Simon has also collaborated internationally with the Sipat Lawin Ensemble in the Philippines.