Perfectly poignant and profound, Rosy Carrick returns to the Fringe with a funny and reflective retelling of her journey of self-discovery and sexual expression. This is a journey with an unlikely starting point (an erotic obsession with 80s bodybuilder action movies, specifically ones with humiliating torture scenes) and an unexpected end (an attempt to reclaim Carrick’s dwindling sexual power).

After multi award-winning debut Passionate Machine, Carrick’s quirkiness continues to crack us up. With witty anecdotes, honest opinions and an undoubted sense of realness, she leaves the audience laughing with relatability and nodding in agreement. Not only does Musclebound drip with Carrick’s charisma and burst with originality, it also presents an honest story of a woman and her adolescent daughter navigating the world of sex and desire.

A few technical difficulties here and there only add to the show’s raw authenticity, and Carrick expertly carries the crowd with her despite them. A niche subject matter to say the least, Musclebound is more than a woman exposing a fetish for what she describes as ‘tortured beefcake’. At the piece’s heart is an important revelation and conversation on the shame that surrounds female desire. 

Assembly Roxy, until 28 August, 5.50pm.