Ovalhouse, London
*****
A show about kink. You probably
have a mental picture of what such a production might be like, but the good
thing is, Clare Shucksmith, creator of Kinky,
knows you do. She also has a pretty good idea of which images your imagination
is likely to conjure up. Flanked by creative and performing partner Zoe Hinks,
she constructs a delightful piece that, in its raunchy affair with performance
art, confronts all the expectations and stereotypes standing in her way.
Two words to describe Kinky: deliberate chaos. The rejection
of conventions necessary to understand kink and alternative sexualities
translates in a refusal to adhere to theatrical traditions. In lieu of a
narrative or argument, the audience gets a succession of kink-related topics, from
statistics to unfair criminal convictions, presented in a seemingly random
order, with nothing but Powerpoint slides as transitions. In turn, Shucksmith
treats each subject with a pell-mell of videos, punk music, and painted slogans.
But it works: amidst the rowdy jumble of images, sounds, costumes and props,
the institutionalisation of sex finds itself crushed. From the rubble, irrepressible
humour rises, relieving sex of its seriousness and stigma.
Enters a giant penis, Tony the
Tiger in a compromising situation, and a ripped and shredded copy of Fifty Shades of Grey, but much of the
show’s convivial atmosphere comes from the knocking down of the fourth wall.
For this production, Shucksmith’s company 2headedpigeon makes direct address
the norm, and the creative process almost transparent. This point is especially
obvious in the acting style, so casual as to resemble normal conversation. For
all intents and purposes, Shucksmith does not act, the little smile lodged at
the corner of her mouth indicating that she is only pretending. Hinks’s
approach is more traditional, but still so informal that it is impossible to
tell where lines end and ad libs begin. Add a technical director, Carl
Boardman, who leaps from his station to make cameos on stage, and everyone is
having a grand old time.
Not that Kinky is all fun and games; its serious moments are all the more
striking for being so scarce. Of particular note is the scene revealing
Shucksmith’s reason for making the play, delivered to the sound of loud music,
but without any dialogue. Temporarily dropping her many props and her piece’s
comedic tone, she writes on a white board, turning to the audience at the end
of each sentence, a stern expression on her face. Her words, albeit simple,
weigh a ton, and engrave themselves onto the spectator’s memory.
In the end, the girls’ conclusion
- a plea to a significant other to take sex as it comes, without judgement,
fear or expectation - confirms that Kinky
is not about any specific sexual practice; it is about freeing sex of its
neuroses. In its humour and disorder, the show thus provides both entertainment
and catharsis – the marks of a successful piece of art.
This production runs until 2 March 2013.
For more information: http://www.ovalhouse.com/whatson/detail/kinky
@Ovalhouse @2headedpigeon
No comments:
Post a Comment