I would love to be able to report that I couldn’t possibly list the forty-four sex acts in the show’s title because it would quite literally give everything away. The actual reason why I couldn’t possibly list them is that there aren’t that many sex acts performed, so I couldn’t tell you what they all were even at knifepoint. Celina Valderrama (Amber McMahon) doesn’t so much have a zero-hours contract as no contract at all, so she requests one from the boss of the news and features website she works for, Irene Gamerman (Rebecca Massey). Of course, she gets one eventually, it’s that kind of show.
Then there’s Malaine Gutierrez (also Massey), who describes herself as a “sex coach and educator” – her role in the show is, despite her vocation, rather secondary to the main storyline, even if she does add some entertainment value to proceedings, mostly by being gloriously over-the-top. She is the author of the book that Celina is meant to be writing about, and so the book (sort of) comes to life: Alab Delusa (Aaron Tsindos) is persuaded by Celina to do the sex acts stipulated by the book.
There aren’t any pants-down demonstrations, with somewhat less than forty-four sex acts accomplished by a combination of fruits (if you must know, a banana is inserted into a watermelon) and sound effects, including the cast’s voices but an array of objects at the rear of the stage are positioned on tables adjacent to microphones. So, for example, the sound of rustling is achieved by scrunching something up directly in front of a microphone. Reviews aren’t supposed to use the term ‘simple yet effective’ anymore but it is an apt description of what goes on here.
It’s not all about the sex acts. Aside from Celina’s issues with an employer who doesn’t like her, the show makes points about unsympathetic landlords, toxic workplace atmospheres where management’s default mode is to be abrasive and threatening towards their staff, and the abuse of power. Overall, though, it’s as silly and ridiculous as a title like the one this show has would suggest. An energetic and enthusiastic performance.
Review by Chris Omaweng
Celina is a journalist stuck writing clickbait for a lifestyle blog, and it falls to hear to road test a new book, The 44 Sex Acts That Will Change Your Life. All she has to do is have sex 44 different ways by Friday – the only problem is she needs a partner. And the only person available is her nemesis, brooding animal activist/office mail boy Alab Delusa. Sworn enemies, they now have one week to perform an Olympian feat and explore the endlessly undulating terrain of sex, from BDSM to role-play, from polyamory to exhibitionism. Can all this extra friction between them strike real sparks?
Cast: Aaron Tsindos, Nancy Denis, Amber McMahon, Rebecca Massey
Written by David Finnigan
Directed by Sheridan Harbridge
Producer: Dans Maree Sheehan
Lighting Designer: Trent Suidgeest
Sound Designer: Steve Toulman
Sound Engineer: Keelan Ellis
44 SEX ACTS IN ONE WEEK
Pleasance Dome at the Edinburgh Fringe
1 to 26 August 2024
Shows and events booking now for Edinburgh Playhouse and for King’s Theatre Glasgow.
