Theatre Reviews

So is it entirely about sex? The question posed by the play's title is answered early on in this production from Rough Magic. As Hilary O'Shaughnessy's character Cathy emphatically informs her confused boyfriend, "No, it's about love and intimacy."

It's truer however to say that Christian O'Reilly's latest work is ultimately concerned with identity and the changing roles of men and women, both publicly and within the inner-sanctum of the bedroom. Sex is of course rampant throughout, though its modern-day placing as the top dog in a perceived 'holy trinity' of relationship traits - sex, love and intimacy - serves as the catalyst for this questioning of each character's role in modern day relationships.

Daniel and Kay (Darragh Kelly and Ali White) are married. Sex is in their relationship, but not love or intimacy. Paul and Cathy, a co-habiting couple, possess the opposite. Both couples turn to sex as the answer to their respective problems and sex leads them individually to the deeper question of identity.

The opening scene sees Daniel (Darragh Kelly) walk into the lingerie section of a department store in a bid to buy a bra. Greeted by shop assistant Cathy (Hilary O'Shaughnessy) he goes on to inform her that the bra is for him, and that he would also like to purchase panties, skirts, stockings and tights.

Cathy duly obliges and seems to take pity on Daniel's bumbling openness to a burgeoning trans-sexuality. Like him, she is experiencing something of a crisis in her relationship. Her sex life with partner Paul (Rory Nolan) has fizzled out. He prefers reading in bed and has lost interest in fulfilling certain sexual needs because it "takes too much time." His interest is only awakened when she informs him that she can fulfil such needs without him "better and faster." This encroaches on his masculinity and thus raises questions for him as to his role in the relationship.

As Daniel's friendship with Cathy blossoms, an affair begins. Cathy is able to help him in his quest to change into a woman, while he in turn sexually fulfils her.

Meanwhile Kay has become bored in her marriage despite sexual satisfaction. Aware of Daniel's purchases, she has an affair with Paul in a bid for revenge. His motivation is to regain his masculinity by becoming better at sexually pleasing Cathy. He sees sex with Kay as "practice".  Both male characters are in individual ways questioning their identity, or sex, while both female characters empower themselves through the physical action.

These opening scenes are doused with lashings of humour. The uncommon situation of a man buying a bra for personal use and the mannerisms of a couple sheepishly discussing their sexual desires prove hilarious, with O'Reilly lending each character a flurry of wonderful one-liners.

However, from here on in, the action becomes increasingly predictable before fumbling to a conclusion which ties up any looses ends merely for the sake of it.

O'Reilly's slice of modern Ireland, never-the-less intrigues. The play's action takes place in department stores, coffee shops and of course the bedroom and is a world away from the typical Irish drama settings of the parlour, kitchen and the pub. He also aptly captures the reality of an Ireland in which women have had power restored and men are increasingly questioning their role in modern society.

Paul O'Mahoney's stage design too brings fluency to the production and though 'Is This About Sex' journeys progressively down hill to a rash conclusion, it nonetheless contains enough laughs to make for an enjoyable evening.

Steve Cummins