It’s Just Sex

A thought-provoking play that looks at boundaries, trust and monogamy between three married couples. When friendships become more intimate it sets off a myriad of topics all centering on the subject of sex. Director Erik Strauts pushes the boundaries in this tale. Peppered with many one liners and jaw dropping encounters, this production makes for a lively night at the theatre.

Strauts has assembled a small cast, all with differing talents. We are invited into the home of Phil (James Whitrow) and Joan (Bronwyn Ruciak), who are hosting a dinner party for a few friends. The party is nearly postponed when Joan arrives home from a yoga class to find her husband entertaining a hooker. With much tension the party goes ahead, where we meet Carl (Jonathon Johnston) and Kelly (Tess O’Flaherty), a very tactile couple who clearly enjoy a healthy sex life. Last to arrive are Lisa (Sharon Pitardi) and Greg (Luke Budgen), an awkward couple who struggle with the balance of power. A tipsy Joan suggests a party game which is the catalyst for many admissions of adultery, poignant confessions and ultimately partner swapping. Never has the topic of sex been discussed more openly!

Whitrow and Ruciak do well to convey the frustration and unhappiness that has become their marriage. Pitardi plays the controlling wife with ease and her relationship with long suffering husband Budgen is believable on every level. Both wives never miss an opportunity to belittle. Johnston is fantastic as always-horny husband to ditsy O’Flaherty.

Although highly entertaining, the American accents attempted by the cast were inconsistent and this was distracting. Given the plot, I wonder if setting it abroad was necessary. A simple set met the needs of the characters well and the lighting plot added depth to the intimate scenes.

The underlying messages and questions this play proposes leaves you questioning what holds relationships together and how important sex is in the grand scheme of it all.

Kerry Cooper

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