[CW: nudity]
A 90s rom-com comes with an LGBTQ+ twist from No Tits Theatre…
Trans man Simon meets cis man Kevin in a gay club, but Kevin’s attraction soon turns to revulsion when he learns Simon has transitioned. When a sudden bolt from the blue swaps the pair’s bodies Freaky Friday-style, Kevin begins to question his own prejudices while they frantically try to undo the magic.
Freddie Haberfellner in his roles as writer and Simon infuses the work with sharp witty dialogue and excellent physical comedy, especially when Kevin inhabits his body and discovers boob physics! Ermis Makides as Kevin is delightfully dopey when Simon possesses him as he tries to figure out how ‘real’ men stand and walk with the help of an audience member. As Kevin discovers, masculinity is in fact a spectrum…
There’s a serious message under the chaotic Twister games and pineapple pizza debate metaphors at Simon’s shared flat. Trans people encounter increasingly hostile reactions in men/women only spaces, and a little insight into their struggles for acceptance and medical treatment can help dispel the hatred. If cis audiences at least leave with more knowledge of binders and packers- and the lengthy surgery waiting lists- this play has more than done its job. You might also never look at a vegan meat section in the supermarket the same way again!
Boobytrapped is a timely slice of queer joy that’s by turns charming and thought-provoking.
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Boobytrapped is at theSpace on the Mile from Aug 7-29 at 21:30