They tumble drunkenly into his New York City apartment, kissing and pulling at each other’s clothes. It’s a common enough scene, a one-night stand, but perhaps more will be revealed.
After ChiChi goes to the loo to freshen up she returns to find Theodore “preparing” with a bit of fluffing, placing him on the backfoot, defensive and embarrassed. It’s only the first of several challenges that he will face from her teasing, free-spirited and fiery nature.
A further drink covers the awkward moment - “Look me in the eyes when you say cheers. Or 7 years of bad sex” she says. Even a palm reading by the exotic and mystical ChiChi can’t predict that the sex, a dance of push-pull tension, sees them out of step. They don’t click. She expected something different, lusting for something more intense, bigger, more powerful and less vanilla. He needs to feel emotionally engaged and pushes back at being referred to as Teddy, seen as weak, naïve and believes that she is defensive, running from intimacy.
The flicker of anger sparks the flame that they need, but there must be more if this is going anywhere and they discuss hard limits and wildest desires. Soon well-mannered and orderly Theodore has no idea what’s coming next, only that there are lines to be crossed in a chaos of intimacy, fantasy, and emotional truth.
This hookup story develops into an exploration of desires, fears, and societal expectations. At its heart it is about true connection, the taking down of barriers and the distinction between physical intimacy and emotional connection.
As a mood piece it’s dark, unusual, sexy and often funny, the charged atmosphere with a mounting electronic score and stylized choreography becoming magnetic as the play slowly reveals its humour, disquiet, and tenderness. The work is well directed, and the authentic relatable performances display natural chemistry, although character development is limited. Only when ChiChi is talking about her darkest fantasy does it become a little too mannered.
While the conclusion is mildly anticlimactic it recognises that being seen might become more powerful than being touched.
Show Times: 1 - 9 August 2025 at 10.05pm; 11 – 16 August 2025 at 10.45pm.
Tickets: £10 (£8) to £15 (£12) (Family £32 to £40).
Suitability: 14+ (Note – contains scenes of a sexual nature).