Horse-Play

Riverside Studios • 5 - 24 September 2022

Studio 3, at the Riverside Studios, has had a bit of a make-over, Horse-Play’s set & costume designer (David Shields) having transformed the space into a surprisingly well equipped sex dungeon… not that I have any point of reference to make a comparison to… but with its somewhat sci-fi / hi-tech looking bondage table, human sized cage and watersports-ready urinal all surrounded by countless drawers, shelves and cupboards that contain just about every accoutrement a BDSM role player could possibly wish for, this seems like a pretty high-end establishment, and one that takes its clientele’s privacy very seriously, the digital push-button door lock ensuring whatever goes on in the dungeon can do so uninterrupted.

First to make an appearance through this high security door is Tim (David Ames) dressed head to toe in garish yellow and pink lycra, kick starting what we soon discover to be a cos-play fantasy for which he has invented the superhero persona Butterfly. As the role-play starts he is quickly overpowered by the evil Villainor, (Matt Lapinskas), who is actually an escort called Karl hired by Tim’s partner, Tom (Jake Maskall) to help spice up the couples sex life, and bring Tim’s seemingly long held fantasy to life. Butterfly’s capture lure’s Stallion (Tom’s own superhero creation) into the dungeon where… well… where Tim and Tom’s wildest sexual fantasy is about to be realised…  or is it? (Cue dramatic music!)

Writer Ian Hallard clearly has a great deal of affection for the TV programs of yesteryear, peppering the production with references to several camp classics, starting with sixties Adam West era Batman, as the keenly observed dialogue pays more than just a cursory nod to the hyperbolic rhetoric of that classic TV show, and whilst there are many laughs to be had during the opening larger-than-life scene setting of Tim’s fantasy, (complete with intentionally cheesy American accents), it is when Villianor briefly exits the room, having first tied Butterfly to the table and locked Stallion in the cage, that these faux persona’s are instantly dropped and, as Tim and Tom once again, the couple start casually having a cosy domestic chat about how well things are going, as well as comically critiquing each others performance, only to snap back to their ‘superheroes in distress’ routine as soon as their invented nemesis re-enters the room. David Ames nails this character flip-flopping between superhero and everyday cos-play enthusiast perfectly, and with the two sides of his character having a very different energy, his performance quickly becomes a comedic, as well as acerbic, tour-de-force.

Alongside Hallard’s love of TV from a certain era, (there are also Dallas and Dynasty references aplenty) he clearly has a soft spot for farce, there being repeated nods to this comic theatrical tradition as the play unfolds with slips, trips and door slams aplenty. There is even some good old-fashioned gunge on hand to top things off. All of this provides the broader brush strokes against which the play takes place. Whist the jury is out on just how comfortably this old style comedic tradition sits against the altogether more adult themes of Horse-Play, the relationship between Tim and Tom remains lovingly played out, and Vilainors story arc gives Lapinskas much to sink his acting teeth into, successfully delivering a well rounded character that increasingly becomes the unexpected central heartbeat of the play. A slightly more self-assured performance from Maskall might have seen this attention turned more in his favour, but the occasional mistimed delivery meant some of his laughs fell a little short of their mark, although I imagine this is highly likely to improve as the show’s run continues.

Slightly more concerning for this reviewer was that despite the initial set up being clearly established as a fantasy role-play, much of the first half relies heavily on the couples very real inability to free themselves from their incarceration, and whilst the cage in which Tom finds himself is sturdy enough to be believably impenetrable, the thick woollen, softly tied ropes used to bind Tim to the table don’t really convince when he actually finds himself needing to be set free, and without any sense of jeopardy to underpin the moment, the rug is unfortunately pulled from under whatever comedy there is layered on top. Hallard has certainly succeeded in his challenge to write a play “all about sex that doesn’t feature any sex in it’, but if he and director (Andrew Beckett), had allowed themselves the occasional nod to the darker reality of the situation, that splash of realism would have no doubt allowed the lighter moments to shine just that little bit brighter. That said, the unfolding situation Tim, Tom and Karl find themselves in has enough twists and turns to keep it both charming and engaging with plenty of laughs along the way, the appearance of two additional characters (played by Stephanie Siadatan and Nick Sampson) in the second half also help to bring it all home with a reinvigorating burst of energy before proceedings reach there very satisfying conclusion.

As an emerging playwright, Hallard proves with his debut full length play that he is adept at creating engaging characters placed in unexpected comedic situations, all of which leaves us more than intrigued to see where his imagination is going to take him, and us, next.

★★★★

review: Simon J. Webb

photographs: Danny Kaan & Charles Flint