Curious?

Stepping Stone Productions. Oh yes! You're not alone… Stepping Stone's new innovative production explores Wellington's own DEEP, dark and DIRTY secrets. Your very own stories devised into one BIG explorative, indulgent SEXACTRICAL, theatrical extravaganza hand picked for your personal PLEASURE.

Fringe Artist Reviews

  • PROVOCATIVE, GUTSY, BRAVE22.02.08

    Posted by: Jackson Coe

    Personal secrets and tasty sex lives are all revealed in Curious?, a titillating new Fringe Festival show devised and presented by Stepping Stone Productions. Curious? tackles the immense topic of human sexuality head-on, offering a bold discussion of some of our most private and intimate secrets.

    Rather than trying to limit their focus to a specific area of sexuality, Stepping Stone have decided to broach an extensive field of issues. From puberty to virginity to same-sex desire, Curious? is something of a buffet of sexual complexity. To aid in this broad exploration, the show is presented as a series of 'chapters' which alternate writers, performers and themes. Memorable scenes include a girl on trial for not losing her virginity soon enough, a sexy stripper comparing herself to a Barbie doll and an alien on stilts analysing same-sex relations.

    All of the performers should be commended for their willingness to lay their own sex lives bare, as it is suggested that a lot of the source material for this show has been gathered from personal experience. The show's girls (Sophie Stone, Tamsin Dashfield and Stevie Wildewood) demonstrate a confident flexibility in their performances, while Kent Seaman delivers an impassioned monologue near the conclusion of the piece which displays a diverse range of vocal ability and exhibits his talent as a strong character actor.

    The soundscape is magnificent, with Hollie Fullbrook's cello supplying a murky atmosphere which works in tandem with the shows lighting scheme, at least for the first half of the show. Fullbrook's lithe plucking is aided by guitar and vocals from Matt Bell, who also helps out the performers when males are looking scarce.

    While the show should be commended for its frankness, there are a few structural problems with the script which impede further development. It seems a conscious choice has been made to avoid an over-arching narrative, and yet a through-line involving alien beings is touched upon. I felt that including this as more of a story, perhaps with a beginning, middle and end, would have held the show together more tightly, without loss to the episodic nature of the script.

    A very provocative work, Curious? is appreciated for its guts and bravery.

    Reviewed by Jackson Coe, 22 Feb 2008
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February

7:00pm

  • 18 M
  • 19 T
  • 20 W
  • 21 T
  • 22 F
  • 23 S
Venue
Gryphon Theatre 22 Ghuznee St, Wellington
Prices
Full $15 Concession $12 Addict $10
Info
February 18, 19, 20 , 21, 22, 23
7PM
Duration 1 hr
Tickets
Call or text to Book on 027 414 8001 and pay on arrival.