Review: Sex Cells

By Alex Roy

Durham’s Fourth Wall Theatre Company brought Anna Longaretti’s Sex Cells to life with a fringe-style production that blended humour and heart to explore the intricacies of the female experience. Performed in the intimate setting of the Holy GrAle bar, this show presented the intersecting lives of four employees at Aphrodite Ltd – a sex toy company – and their boss, Mr Causeway. While the comedy flourished, the emotional depth sometimes fell short, leaving the anticipated poignant themes underdeveloped.

The character-driven plot focuses on four women, each navigating personal struggles and relationships. Izzy Bainbridge portrayed Lily, a weary, older woman grappling with love (or a lack thereof), loss, and her strained family dynamics. Her storyline provided moments of genuine poignancy, contrasting effectively with the youthful exuberance of Tiffany (Tess Garrett) – an Essex-bred whirlwind whose carefree approach to life’s problems added a comedic edge. 

Katherine Thompson as Sylvie offered a stark counterpoint, delivering an emotive performance of a woman desperate for motherhood amidst failed IVF attempts, embodying the emotional toll of watching time, opportunity, and money slip away. Rounding off the group, Ellie Kinch’s Janice became a quiet, introspective figure, wrestling primarily with her identity with motherhood. Providing the backdrop against which these stories could unfold was Mr. C (Damola Amusa), whose quirky and comedic presence tied the story together effectively.

Thoughtful staging and dynamic movement helped breathe life into the cramped set, while music (cleverly reminiscent of ‘hold music’) underscored scene transitions, maintaining the flow and energy of the show, and avoiding awkwardness

Directors Mindy Cao and Megan Dunlop made excellent use of the challenging space of the Holy GrAle, transforming it into a chaotic – yet believable – office setting. Props littered the stage, from pink telephones and notepads to sex toys and magazines, creating an immersive environment that complemented and enhanced both the humour and realism of the workplace. Thoughtful staging and dynamic movement helped breathe life into the cramped set, while music (cleverly reminiscent of ‘hold music’) underscored scene transitions, maintaining the flow and energy of the show, and avoiding awkwardness.

The standout performances came from Tess Garrett and Damola Amusa. Garrett’s portrayal of Tiffany was a comedic delight, balancing exaggerated Essex charm with hilarious background work that kept her character engaging throughout. This was most notable in scenes where she was flicking through magazines or had her head on the desk to imply a hungover state or a gormless expression upon eavesdropping conversations riddled with depth. Her approach to this role was hilarious and incredibly compelling. Amusa’s Mr. C was equally as captivating, with impeccable comedic timing, with improvisation highlighting an authentic wit, and sharp delivery of the script elevating the humour.

Costuming was a further highlight, playing a key role in distinguishing characteristic subtleties of the roles being embodied. Thoughtful details, such as differences in skirt length – with Lily’s conservatively long skirt contrasting with the ‘youthful’ fashion and shorter skirts, of Sylvie and Tiffany – added depth and an element of visual storytelling detached from the book.

Themes of identity, loss, disordered eating and death lacked the necessary conviction to land with their intended impact

However, I felt the play faltered in its handling of its emotional core. Themes of identity, loss and death lacked the necessary conviction to land with their intended impact. Hurried delivery and line stumbles undercut the emotional gravitas of these moments, leaving more serious conversations overshadowed by the humour. Perhaps by fault of the script (and thus, neither the directors nor performers) certain arcs concerning these topics (such as Janice’s identity) felt under-explored, with these characters serving to be mere narrative devices in the stories of other characters, as opposed to being fully realised individuals in their own right. I yearned to see greater confidence and conviction in delivery – perhaps with the help of more rehearsal, such as to overcome these hindrances and ensure the emotional depth of the piece was not lost.

Despite these shortcomings, Sex Cells excelled in its comedic elements. From laugh-out-loud jokes (”small, medium and liar”), to the grotesque humour of blow-up dolls, and rotating pearl g-strings, the production created an atmosphere of openness and transparency, successfully paving the way for comfort in exploring the deeper themes.

Overall, Sex Cells delivered an enjoyable evening of laughs and relatability, bolstered by strong comedic performances and thoughtful direction. While the production didn’t fully convey the emotional weight of its themes, it showed glimpses of a genuine depth and sincerity that certainly have great potential. Fourth Wall Theatre Company has created an engaging, energetic adaptation of Longaretti’s piece that entertains and invites reflection, making it a commendable effort to tackle such a nuanced script.

Image Credit: Fourth Wall Theatre Company