Fleabag, Sanitised and Denton and Me

There is an undercurrent of sexual anxiety that tugs at the characters in Fleabag, Sanitised and Denton and Me. Whether it is the post-war illegality of homosexuality of Denton, the loneliness of Me in the flesh-pots of London, the Fleabag's uptight nymphomania or Sanitised clean and dirty fantasies, sexual desire both confuses and frightens, even as the characters come to an understanding of themselves. 

All three shows are solo performances - Denton and Me and

Fleabag being monologues, Sanitised  physical theatre without a word but plenty of AV tricks - and they all focus on an individual's relationship to sex. Sanitised broadens its scope by using cleaning as a metaphor for one woman's attempt to cleanse her life - Lorna Irvine points out that the entire piece could be seen as a play on the word 'scrubber' - while Denton has a deep historical sensitivity, linking contemporary ennui with earlier, more urgent, anguish. Fleabag, meanwhile, is a more comic take with a protagonist who, nevertheless, kills with the force of her promiscuity.

The idea that validation - or for Denton and Me, an escape from alienation - can come through sex is explored from three distinct angles. Perhaps because of its wordlessness, Sanitised includes sex (represented by red high heels and a basque) as part of a general meditation on the life of the modern woman: hidden in her bathroom, her cleaning routines become a kind of social performance, as she discovers filth, delights it in, then is overcome by shame and gets to work removing it. 

The pain in Denton is shared between three characters (including

the protagonist's aging family friend who seems adrift in regret), and covers both the threat of a state that criminalises desire and a more contemporary alienation from gay culture. Fleabag, meanwhile, resolves itself into a recognition that the heroine is unable to accept herself without sexual validation.

What emerges from the three works is like a trilogy of frustration - sex, which was supposed to have been made uncomplicated (much of Fleabag revels in passionate encounters) remains a dark, complicated event, full of guilt and longing. 

Fleabag

Soho Theatre... Fleabags and Bitches

Despite my location in the distant north, I try to keep an eye on Soho Theatre. Partially because it brings back memories of my youth, when I pounded the streets of London seeking out alternative theatre in the shadow of the successful musicals, and partially because it operates as a good guide to what might happen at the Edinburgh Fringe. The mix of serious and fun performance keeps me on my critical toes - and forces me to bemoan the theatre that I have missed. 

Fleabag  is a good example. Check out the press release.

Today I am going to be a new person. No more slutty pizzas. No more porny wanks. Lots more lovely threesomes. GO.The Fleabag bites back. A rip-roaring account of some sort of a female living her sort of life. Directed by Vicky Jones, whose play The One won the 2013 Verity Bargate Award for best new play. Wed 7 – Sun 25 May, 7.30pm (Thu & Sat matinees, 3pm, Sunday matinees, 5pm)

That this was not at the top of my 'must-see' list in 2013 is further evidence that I am set to lose my reputation for catching cheeky new works. And to follow that up, another former Fringe hit (which I missed). 

Bitch Boxer

Written by 2013 Soho Six member Charlotte Josephine when she was a member of Soho Theatre’s Young Company Bitch Boxer won Soho Theatre’s Young Writers Award 2012. It has since had sell-out runs at Soho Theatre, and Edinburgh Festival Fringe as part of the Old Vic New Voices Edinburgh season. As Chloe trains for Olympic boxing glory she is left winded by two life-changing events in a fast-paced show full of blood, sweat and tears. Tue 25 Mar – Sun 13 Apr, 7pm (Sat matinees, 2pm)

In my defence, I did catch Dark Vanilla Jungle at the Traverse. There is a review pending, so I can't say too much. It is worth catching, if your tastes extend to precise, provocative scripting and the gradual unfolding of a modern horror story. Besides, it is Philip Ridley, and he has a distinctive style - his fans will be already making a sinister queue at the box office, filled with hidden meanings and half-reliable storytelling. Tue 25 Mar – Sun 13 Apr, 8.30pm (Sat matinees, 3.30pm)