Magical Prescriptions
Jessie Ngaio
Tell the “Doctor” what ails you.
Come to me, “Dr” Jessica Ngaio Smith, with something that troubles you. Whether physical, psychological, spiritual or emotional, tell me about your problem and I’ll write you a prescription. Appointments are one-on-one and you’ll have 10 minutes to speak. If your words get stuck in your throat, that’s ok, I’ll work with what I see in the stillness and silence.
Magical Prescriptions is an experiment in making ritualistic performance art that is intimate and personalised, giving the audience an experience that is just for them. As someone who has felt greatly dehumanised by my experiences as a patient in the doctor’s office, hospital ward and psychologist’s room, I am interrogating the notion that healing can be given to us by a stranger working in institutionalised paradigms with a strict time limit. As an artist, I have a curiosity and hope that art, along with a reverence for the beautiful mystery of things, might help guide us back towards ourselves. Finally, as a clown, I feel it’s my duty to laugh at how little I, or anyone, can truly have the answers to anything.
Midsumma is Australia’s premier queer arts and cultural organisation, bringing together a diverse mix of LGBTQIA+ artists, performers, communities and audiences.
Midsumma Festival 2026 will open on Sunday 18 January and run to Sunday 8 February 2026.
Check out the full 2026 program here.
Find out what’s on at Meat Market.
