Southwark Playhouse – until 13 January
Reviewed by Claire Roderick
4****
Blind Summit’s weird and wonderful show explores sex and sexuality through a series of interviews with puppets. With a whimsical, filthy and sometimes touching script inspired by real-life responses, co-writers and directors Mark Down and Ben Keaton deliver a fast-paced parade of characters introduced with determinedly low-tech titles.
The puppets are manipulated brilliantly with great skill by Mark Down, Isobel Griffiths, Simon Scardifeld and Dale Wylde, with one puppeteer controlling the mouth and voicing the character while another controls the limbs. The characterisation is simply enchanting, and it is easy to forget the puppeteers – until a puppet asks for help getting into a sexual position. With couples and individuals discussing sexual wellbeing, the effect of aging on sex, consent and much more, most scenes are full of humour – mostly from the older characters’ openness. The freedom of care-home sex and the language it takes to turn a grammar pedant on are highlights. The pace is well-judged overall, with plenty of laughs in each scene and moments of emotional depth and tenderness – it is amazing how the gentle rearrangement of a puppet’s hand will touch your heart, and the physical reactions of the puppets to each other’s words is glorious.
A show full of skill and silliness and “gratuitous puppet sex” that has to be seen to be believed. I loved it – you will leave the theatre with a goofy smile wondering what the hell you have just witnessed, but eager for more.