While ultimately a comedy, there is also surprising touches of poignancy to be found.
Frank, honest, funny and heartwarming in places, The Sex Lives of Puppets is a really surprising and entertaining show to start 2024 with. Is it graphic in places – yes but it never feels crude, keeping on the right side of being funny with a touch of naughtiness that goes down well with audiences.
Created by Blind Summit, the show is based on real conversations had by real people about sex just seen through the eyes of a variety of puppet characters highlighting a number of issues surrounding sex, often humorously but in other cases quite poignantly as on the case of a same sex couple in a care home – one of whom discovered later in life he was gay, while the other had lived through the sexual offences act. The conversations are frank and yet filled with emotion, giving you insight into these characters lives, with some even having room to be developed further given how interesting they are.
The whole style of the production has a feel of a documentary about it (which I’m sure that Channel 4 would be happy to develop…), which allows the audience to feel as though they are interviewing these characters themselves – although the avant-garde monologue felt out of place and confusing in contrast with the set up for the other characters.
Mark Down and Ben Keaton‘s script is filled with some cracking one liners that keep the audience chuckling throughout (too special to spoil here), while also making them think about the many different ways that sex can be viewed in different situations and how it can be used to explore inner emotions and thoughts. It has surprising depth to it that you don’t expect when you first walk into the theatre. Topics such as attraction, how does sex change with age and how it it can give voice to inner desires are all explored with humour and sensitivity. One couple discuss how they found each other when he was grieving for his wife is a surprisingly tender moment, which in stark contrast with another who uses sex to distract from the pain that a family member is going through cancer is equally powerful (although it is difficult not to resent him for his lack of empathy and selfishness). A lot of thought has gone into the creation of the script, without going too deep to ensure that the audience leave entertained.
While the characters themselves are all of course brilliant, a couple of highlights came through the use of puppetry with no words (and there are no words to describe what you witness just before the interval and at the end of the show) that show ultimate creativity and laugh out loud moments. The first before interval, cleverly uses shadow puppets to hilarious effects, while the chaos of the second definitely left me speechless.
Credit of course should go to the cast of puppeteers who bring each character to life with great distinction. The way in which they effortlessly move from one character to the next (with the help of course of simple but effective scene changes) is seamless and never feels disjointed, keeping the audience thoroughly invested as to what is going to happen next. Every move that each the puppeteers makes on behalf of the puppets feels natural (even in the more explicit moments) and you feel as though you are engaging with real characters.
Yes it is graphic and perhaps is best suited for those who are used to puppetry being used in a similar way (humour wise) in shows like Avenue Q or have seen Team America: World Police . However, it brilliantly entertaining from start to finish.
By Emma Clarendon
The Sex Lives of Puppets continues to play at the Southwark Playhouse until the 13th January.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐