Sex is something we still don’t talk about in a way which reflects what we really do…… Freak tells it as it is and drags the truth out in front of the audience where it loses some of its shame at least. Or is that just me? The packed audience seemed very young. Anyway, “Freak” certainly pulls no punches and is not for the prudish.
The piece opens with two females getting in to a bed, in a bedroom – one around 15 and the other about 30 we are led to believe. But somehow it’s not the same bed. Each in turns tells us their thoughts and then relates the fascinatingly gory details of their lives and relationships, such as they are.
The older of the two relates a pornographic tale of her life and specifically a semi-professional sexual adventure while the younger describes her first experiences. I know, it all sounds a bit yuk, but not at all. Later we discover a connection between them which enables comparisons to be drawn with a few occasionally hilarious results.
Writer Anna Jordan has produced one of the best scripts for women only that I’ve ever experienced. In places it’s sweet and others visceral and vicious with some stunning one-liners.
Actors April Hughes and Lia Burge work so well together with flowing comedic timing to give a brilliant exposition of their sexual context, delivered with expert timing and passion.
Have to say Studio 5’s sight lines are appalling and I was peering through the gaps between heads of the audience in front of me but it’s unfair to mark “Freak” down for that and the production I saw was a sell out. 'Nuff said.
Assembly George Square - Studio 5, 16.10, £11/£10