Writer and Director: Olivia Gibbs-Fairley
When Skins came out in 2007, it was just so edgy and funny and, like, really spoke to a generation of 16-year-olds in the twenty-first century. But try watching a single episode now, and you will eye-roll so hard you probably won’t be able to get through it. That’s not to say it wasn’t as good as you remembered it, it’s just that it’s for 16-year-olds who haven’t really done anything yet and who are obsessed with their private parts, not 32-year-olds who are genuinely excited about their new toilet cleaner, and love being in bed before 9:30.
There’s a similar feeling with Sex, Society & Other Stupid Sh*t, that if only the reviewer were 10 years younger, there would’ve been a feeling of such a kinship with the performers, glowing with pride that they had presented the experiences of a young woman in this funny, thoughtful way, with hesitations and outbursts in all the right places. Instead, it engenders an amused smile throughout; there are a lot of recognisably old themes newly packaged but what is clear to this reviewer, like a mum at a particularly entertaining school concert, is that everyone on stage, especially writer-performer Olivia Gibbs-Fairley, is so full of potential.
As is explained in the first scene, this isn’t the normal play format. In fact, it’s closer to a sketch show, with short scenes following one after the other, narratively unrelated but sharing a similar theme of female positivity and honest, wholesome comedy. Wholesome in that it’s all so nice and inclusive, not so much that it doesn’t talk about sex and masturbation, passive-aggressive friendships, violence against women, body hair, more masturbation – or as it’s joyously referred to, ‘flick the bean, bake the tagine, buff the muffin, hit the snooze button, polish the pearl, dial the rotary phone’…
The set consists of an old sofa and a few chairs and blocks to perch on, and that’s all that’s needed really. The cast are all dressed colourfully but independently, showing flair and personality, and filling the stage plenty enough not to require any fancy design or props.
There are some sketches that could do with some harsh editing, or cutting altogether, like a very long scene in which a woman is ‘just done with all of it’, and decides she wants to go live in a cave. It doesn’t really have any content, more just the outline of an idea. That being said, there are some glorious moments, like when a friend has decided she’s being ‘neutral’ about her body, and then cracks and wants to see what percentage of attractive she is according to an app. Or a spoken text-thread on a dating app where basically everyone is lying.
There’s also a slightly off balance between light comedy and social commentary. You don’t have to pick one or the other, but you do have to work out what it is you’re trying to achieve with the combination. Instead, it’s nearly all quite light and silly, and then there’s a pretty hefty scene in the middle about social responsibility and whether we’re letting the team down if we’re ‘too tired’ to keep fighting for justice. And then we’re straight back to silly.
It’s completely obvious that the whole cast is exceptionally talented and the audience will undoubtedly be showing off in years to come that they saw them all when they were fluorescent green and eager as anything to make a positive contribution to the feminist narrative. And if you’re 22 and want to see your experiences on stage, executed with care, intelligence and a very sharp wit, then this show is basically written for you.
Runs until 19 February 2022
