Paul T Davies reviews 1-2-1 This Sex Is Real presented by Selfie Productions at the Edinburgh Fringe.
121 This Sex is Real.
C Royale, Edinburgh Fringe
15/8/18
4 Stars
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The appropriately titled Selfie productions have created a short, sharp, punchy play about body image, shaming and the pressure of social media. In places its not exactly subtle, but the tension cranks up nicely and is well performed by Rob Leach and Olivia Jewson.
In a claustrophobic space, we discover her lying on a bed, waking up after a drunken night, and it transpires that she has gone home with her Tinder date. They decide to date, and, reflecting the speed of social media, things move fast. But never having the perfect body always gets in the way, she has to filter every picture before going out and he will always live in the shadow of muscle bound celebrities. It builds to a powerful sequence when they mark thier bodies with lipstick, to show what they are unhappy with. Basically, everything.
Rob Leach also wrote the play, and it brims with potential. Occasionally the argument that social media is harmful is a little simplistic and obvious, and the relationships with parents can be explored more. But the play is funny and thought provoking, and performed with total commitment. Marshall Griffin’s taut direction has created a confident, honest and raw piece that has connected with the selfie generation, and two late night shows have been added to the run, so book quickly!
