Melbourne Fringe: First Trimester 

In 2024, Melbourne Fringe Festival hit the high notes with 1283 media hits valued at over $14M. Zilla & Brook are excited to be working with the Fringe Festival again in 2025, starting off with the First Trimester.

UK-based performer and Netflix creator Krishna Istha and their partner Logan are on a world-wide quest to search for the ‘perfect’ sperm donor. Having searched London, Dublin, Copenhagen, and Auckland; Melbourne is the First Trimester’s next stop in October. During the performance, participants join a public conversation with Istha as they answer questions that range from funny to serious – from matter of fact to philosophical – to discover the qualities that make them a perfect match. Interviews last ten-minutes live on stage, and the aim is to conduct as many interviews as possible, to learn more about the kind of person that has the potential to be a sperm donor, and to continue Istha’s search to make the ultimate connection.

First Trimester is literally a search to find a sperm donor, but it is also an artistic and social experiment. Through the project, Istha, who is trans, aims to create a dialogue around trans reproductive healthcare in a creative way. First Trimester ultimately explores human connection, and the challenges of fertility and parenthood.