‘You wouldn’t be having a good time in the morgue, would you?’
5 STARS
Indeed, perhaps you wouldn’t be… you could well be dead. Thankfully, Sex Cells left me feeling far from that. Instead, The Nottingham New Theatre’s wonderful production left me stimulated and absolutely in awe.
For starters, the name of the play itself speaks volumes. Sex Cells… as in scientific cells or a play-on ‘sells’ for prostitution? Does it even matter? It doesn’t. Anything to do with sex sells when you’re a student- it’s a hot commodity, everyone wants a bit of it- including Tiffany (Sophie Walton) in the performance.
The play itself tackles the emotionally fraught issues that surround motherhood within the closeted and intimate (yet ironic) setting of a sex-toy call centre. Taking us from demanding children to stubborn adults, from the inability to conceive children to getting out there and having sex for fun, each issue was dealt with in a delicate yet enriching manner. The intimacy of a closely shared office space brimming with competing attitudes and ideologies was the perfect backdrop for this play. I have to congratulate the flawless acting of each of the five actors who absolutely made this play.
In being entirely invested, each actor ensured I had no choice but to be taken from my seat and vicariously live through each of their lives and plights as they experienced them. I experienced each pang of pain, every slice of frustration, every moment of giddiness and ultimately cringed amiably at the awkward Mr Causeway (Joe Caunce) who was irrevocably infatuated with Lily (Libby Boyd). Caunce managed to transcend his student-self and became a flustered middle aged office manager. His acting was simply captivating, to the extent that I no longer believed I was watching a student- simply remarkable! I particularly enjoyed Mr Causeway’s regular salutes to Ryan Gosling which added a comic undercurrent to his relentless devotion.
Furthermore, from loaded cake allusions- ‘not everyone can take the heat of the ginger’ to morbidly comic frustration- ‘a bit like shoving a marshmallow in a slot machine’, I simply fell in love as the performance not only managed to make me silently thank all mothers out there for being the selfless heroines they are, but also left me aching from laughing at the wit expressed in the performance. It successfully managed to have me on the edge of my seat, crying and sinking back with hysterical laughter. Never in my four years of reviewing have I been left with such a spine-tingling sensation as the one I experienced when the play ended.
Sex Cells runs until Saturday 7th November at The Nottingham New Theatre.
For more information on the production and how to book tickets:
http://newtheatre.org.uk/whats-on/
Edited by Georgina Varley
Image Source:
http://ticketing.newtheatre.org.uk/media/posters/Sex_Cells_for_Max_Interlace_Small_3.png