Dirty Talk - LACUNA Collective
- Jun 21
- 2 min read
Reviewed by Rachel Doulton
Dirty Talk, from the creative team of LACUNA Collective, opens this week at Blue Room Theatre. This evocative play takes place in the headphones of a young woman grappling with the chasm between the fantasies she listens to and her real dating life. Her favourite heroine, Fabiola, knows exactly where she is meant to be and who she is meant to be with. Whether it be a maiden lost in the woods or a mob boss pulling her into the dark underbelly of organised crime. If Fabiola doesn't know what will happen next, she knows it will narratively work itself out. She exudes confidence and charisma. Jamima can only dream of experiencing that kind of sexual liberation wrapped up in a whirlwind romance that would give Sarah J Maas a run for her money. That is, until Fabiola is standing right in front of her, fresh out of her headphones and into her train carriage.
Under the direction of Marie-Eve Cigna, the ensemble work in this piece is tight. Emily Jenkins, playing the amative Fabiola, commands the stage and fills the space with boisterous energy. She plays out the various erotic narrative tropes alongside Anna Knight, whose comedic timing slices through the building sexual sensual tension, turning nervous giggles from the audience into cachinnation. Talia Zipper is captivating, giving a relatable and heartening performance in Jemima.
Equally impressive is the lighting design by Jolene Whibley. Sculptural and atmospheric, it elevated the performances on stage and was executed with expert precision by stage manager Shaanice Arakua. The sound design by Talia Zipper seamlessly transitions from the diegetic to the non-diegetic. Arguably the most important element in a work about audio erotica, Zipper successfully translated the intimate immersion created by the form for the stage. Notably, the transitions of the more sensual dialogue into a sound booth style microphone bring the audience into a glimpse of the experience of what audio erotica has to offer.
The rise of book-tok, audio erotica, and even the likes of Bridgerton, is finally making mainstream what has always been there: a rich inner world where sensuality, sexuality and romance intertwine. Where women can use fantasy to explore the possibilities in their real-life relationships, to use fantasy to help self-actualise a fulfilling sexual life. Dirty Talk nails it in the prominent conversation of using fantasy as a tool for women's sexual empowerment.
Reviewer Note: Tickets for this review were provided by the theatre company.
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