in/compatible – a tale of dysfunction

This collection of ten-minute plays about sexual dysfunction among young adults, was presented by Fairly Random Inc. and The Flaming Locomotive. Varied, insightful and clever, they provided a slightly eclectic evening that entertained and sparked conversation.

In The Panel, by William Everett-Knight, a slightly pompous television presenter (William Everett-Knight again) interviews a young man, a strident Stephen Beeson, who believes that it is ok, and even advantageous, to send ‘dick pics’ to girls. A second panellist, a credible Amy Tamati, vehemently but calmly disagrees. Audience interaction cameos from Arin Uren, Patrick McCarthy and director Ian Toyne, and an interesting and controversial audience buzz.

In Sun-Mi Clyburn’s The First Night, a young virgin couple (a gentler Everett-Knight and a sweet Olivia Day), arrive in their hotel on their wedding night. As they prepare to make love, their repression and guilt come to the surface in physical form, (Sun-Mi Clyburn and Patrick McCarthy) and shame them.

In M’Lady, by Arin Uren, a young woman (Kelsey Gray) is harassed by a young man (Arin Uren) who feels that it is his right to engage her in conversation. Lovely build of tension in this short play, in which the situation escalates to tragic proportions

In the dystopian Boxes, by Patrick McCarthy, an officious clerk, Olivia Day, informs a young man (a heightened Stephen Beeson) that he is to be sorted. A thorough search of his online interaction has decided what his sexual preference is, and anyone not normal will be segregated. An interesting post-Brexit, Trump era commentary, and an interesting juxtaposition for anyone who has seen Labels or Gender Spanner at FringeWorld.

Mirror Mirror, written by Stephen Beeson and Sin-Mi Clyburn features a young woman (Rachel Keys in a strong performance) prepares for a night out with her long-term girlfriend (Sun-Mi Clyburn). In the mirror, her refection (Amy Tamati) shows her self-doubt, poor body image and crippling lack of image confidence. A very intense performance by all three actors was interrupted by the collapse of an audience member. Kudos to these performers, who after assisting the patron and ensuring his safety, resumed the performance with outstanding focus.

In/compatible showed some great examples of the ten-minute genre and it was wonderful to see emerging writers. A solid show that landed exceptionally well under less than ideal circumstances.

Kimberley Shaw