Bella Merlin, Distinguished Professor of Theatre, Film, and Digital Production, has been working on her passion project, a one-woman show called “Tilly No-Body” since 2009. The show follows Tilly Wedekind, wife and muse of German playwright Frank Wedekind, and her emotional journey from youth to old age.

“‘Tilly No-Body’ is a one-person show with five cabaret songs, original cabaret songs, and it's set in a magical space,” Merlin said. “So a young woman who is on the brink of collapse in a coercive relationship swallows poison, and the play takes place in the three days that she is recovering.”

“Tilly” is a story about autonomy and the reclamation of power — and is also deeply socially relevant today. Much like TFDP’s production of “Fuenteovejuna,” this show explores the role women play and their interpersonal relationships. Merlin believes that relationships always have the potential to lead to a power struggle, and that will never be irrelevant.

“All relationships are complicated,” Merlin said. “But these power imbalances, little by little — if we're not careful — can lead to coercive, abusive environments, relationships. And we're never going to get away from that until all different gender identities start understanding how we can mutually respect each other.”

Merlin has brought the show around the world since its first production in 2010, though after closing, it was on hiatus until 2022. She recently returned to teaching for the winter quarter following a summer stint in the United Kingdom. There, she presented “Tilly No-Body” at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival — a British theatre festival celebrating small productions — where it was awarded with an “Edinburgh Festival Fringe Theatre A.” The festival involves over 3,500 participating shows, forcing each company to compete for even a small audience. Even then, “Tilly” found success.

“The audience is vital,” Merlin said. “We took the show to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this past summer, which is the world's biggest live performance festival. I played to audiences that had four people in them and I loved it. It was so intimate, and it felt like such a vibrant dialogue.”

Merlin first heard about Tilly in her 20s while in a production of Frank Wedekind’s “Lulu.” The real Tilly had published a book about her experiences as an actress for her husband, which — as it was written in German — Merlin spent 10 years translating by hand. As she learned more about Tilly, Merlin found she related to her deeply.

“I kind of love her,” Merlin said. “I think I'm a bit in love with her. As I was translating it, I was getting more and more into her mind, into her emotions, into her romances, and her family life. And I felt a certain responsibility at the end to honor and respect her. We were also invited to South Korea, and we had a question and answer afterwards; and on both occasions, daring to share my connection to Tilly's story ignited a freedom in people to start to share their stories, and it was very humbling, very moving, and very empowering.”

“Tilly No-Body” will be performed at the UC Riverside Studio Theatre on Friday, March 6th at 8:00 p.m. and Saturday, March 7th at 2 p.m.

FEATURED PHOTO. Bella Merlin, dressed in a red coat, strikes a strong pose in a scene in "Tilly No-Body".