Writer: Dan Ireland-Reeves
Unable to find any decent work as an actor Dan puts his West End dreams on hold and gets a job in his town’s local gay sauna. The venue is owned and run, for over 20 years, by the volatile Alan, affectionately called ‘mother’ by the staff. Dan is part of a core crew of four staff who work excessive hours, for minimal pay to keep the venue alive. He starts as a receptionist/cleaner but is quickly promoted to manager where he works tirelessly to achieve his ultimate goal of having a day when the sauna is fully occupied.
Sauna Boy is a humorous and honest sight into the life of an establishment which uniquely offers unfettered sexual activity whilst also building a community. Centred around Dan we get a glimpse at the people who use and work at these venues and all the shenanigans that go on – the gossip, the workplace politics and, of course, the sexual proclivities of its patrons.
Whilst the more comedic elements sit at the fore of Dan Ireland-Reeve’s script, the play also looks at the more unsavoury side of the job – the cleaning up, the unwanted sexual advances, the long hours, and more. It’s funny but also sobering.
This is a one-man show with Ireland-Reeve jumping in and out of various characters. He is a confident and engaging performer able to do accents and mannerisms with ease and, despite being alone on stage, presents the plethora of characters effectively.
The frank depiction of life within the sauna is explicit and leaves little to the imagination when describing the exploits within. There’s an element of shock value, but it doesn’t seem out of place. There are stories to tell but, presumably like the sex within the sauna, it lacks any deep emotion. This is about Dan’s time in the sauna, but you get to know very little about Dan himself – the anonymity of the sauna seems to have permeated into the man himself. And maybe that’s the point.
In the end, this is a candid, funny and delightfully naughty journey into a world most people don’t know about. It’s mind-bogglingly illuminating and highly entertaining. And with Ireland-Reeves at the centre, it’s also very engaging.
Runs until 1 June 2024
