This was the final performance of one of the most talked-about shows at the Fringe: and it indeed finished with a flourish.
We were invited to pop the poppers, and simply enjoy the experience! Having searched for meaning – and ultimately a home – Danny has found himself working in a gay sauna: amongst those sucking on their e-Cigarettes (“as though they were a lifeline”), to those looking simply for a space for relaxation and socialisation… but (of course) ultimately sex… the “old-school queens”, and those embroiled in sex-parties, were all vividly portrayed in this sell-out show.
One of the key characters that emerged was ‘Alan’ – the manager of the establishment – who, despite his outward care and illusory compassion for those who came to him, was subsequently revealed as a person highly manipulative: with the nous to take advantage of the needs of vulnerable others. Known to the rest as ‘mother’, the parental care was often drowned by prosecco, meaning Danny had to simultaneously and single-handedly preserve the professional exterior of the Western Sauna, while wrestling with his own internal tensions, demons… and dreams.
Though a one-man show, there was a careful description of the characters developed – the plot and the pace cemented it, and the whole thing was consistently secure and solid. The complicated and clashing priorities between the business, vs the emotional and the inevitable attractions that evolved were impressively and sensitively explored.
This show had the grit of sheer authenticity, but with the pace of comedy and continuing narrative that kept us always wanting more. That blunt cliff-edge between raw humanity and self-denial, and how the adrenaline carrying you from spontaneity towards intimacy, was unashamedly but carefully addressed. The light-heartedness of the show avoided us being dragged down, but there was no attempt to sugar-coat reality.
Ultimately, Alan’s controlling influence was always going to be balanced by the welcoming attraction his Sauna provided. For Danny, there was a time when this was needed – but it was something he grew out of, and came to see a different way. And so stuck between a rock and a hard place, Danny nonetheless found eventual freedom – though it came at a significant cost.
One of the most exhilarating experiences he’s ever encountered, the Sauna was simultaneously a place of pain and discomfort; the outward profession of work often hiding and suffocating the underlying need for love. Combining both emotion and empathy, fragility and frailty; depth and discernment, humanity and hilarity: this was a truly outstanding performance.
The show finished at 9.25pm
Sauna Boy, Saturday 16th August 2025, Theatre 3 at theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall