Reviews

The Sexual Awakening of Peter Mayo

Editorial Staff

Internet sex forms the theme of several shows at this year’s Fringe, but this neat little three-hander by Jonathan Brittain offers a poignant rather than a voyeuristic take on the theme. Peter Mayo is a gawky, nerdy 23-year-old just out of a relationship with his childhood sweetheart, and he’s inadvertently – but then quite enthusiastically – drawn into a world of casual hook-ups and no-holds-barred fetishes by two new online acquaintances.

A neon box forms the simple but effective set, and direction from Natasha Nixon is smooth and effective, with a fast-moving pace and understated physicality. Michael Lyle is a likeable Peter, his delivery clear and clipped, and with an infectious eagerness to try new things. Helen Duff and Sam Donnelly provide strong support in brave performances.

There are plenty of plot twists – and laughs – along the path to Peter’s sexual freedom to keep us guessing, and the theme of emotion versus sex is never far beneath the surface. But still, the central character’s final embracing of free love seems a little paradoxical – or subversive, perhaps. Nevertheless, it’s an entertaining and thought-provoking hour.

– David Kettle