Trans Sex Education writer to stage new show seeking sperm donor from audience

A trans writer for the Netflix show Sex Education is set to perform in a “groundbreaking” theatre show in which they and their partner search for a sperm donor in the audience.

During the performance, titled First Trimester, Sex Education writer Krishna Istha will conduct “intimate live interviews” with the audience in the hopes of finding a sperm donor.

Battersea Arts Centre, where the performance will be coming in November, claimed the show is “a rare opportunity to contribute to and witness queer family-making”. 

The show will see Istha interview different potential sperm donors, asking questions ranging in topic from philosophy to pop-culture, with the writer claiming they “don’t really care” about the standard questions asked in fertility centres.

“When you go on sperm bank websites, the qualities listed are things like height, race, eye colour and whether or not they have PHDs, but we don’t really care about those things,” they said. 

“Instead, a lot of the questions I had for these donors were about the qualities I tend to care about in people… What do you think happens when we die? Do you want children of your own? Are you kind? And most importantly, have you watched The Princess Diaries?”

First Trimester was awarded £64,631 from the Arts Council and the National Lottery to be created, and will reportedly be turned into a documentary for Netflix’s YouTube channel after it is performed. 

An Arts Council England spokesperson told The Daily Mail: “In this comedic performance piece which is for adults only, Krishna Istha will explore questions that range from funny to serious, about what it means to create a family. 

“’The show is funded through our National Lottery Project Grants programme, through which we support a broad range of artistic works that appeal to the varied tastes and interests of people across the country.”

Istha has previously spoken out about the importance of trans representation in the arts, with regards to their work on Sex Education, telling PinkNews that trans writers can help audiences learn about trans experiences from a “true and authentic place”. 

“Representation matters,” they said. “If you don’t see versions of yourself, you don’t necessarily know that you can exist in that specific way.

“You might think that you’re [just] one person, when actually lots of different people are having that experience.”

PinkNews has contacted Krishna Istha and Battersea Arts Centre for comment.

• Dec 31 2024

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