Sarah, Sky and Seven Other Guys tries to tell the story of Sara, a woman, and Sky, a gay man, seeking to assert their sexuality in a world that wants to repress it.

It's immediately apparent that the performance has sex placed firmly at the centre. The titular 'seven other guys' stand silently around the fringes of the stage in various states of dress or undress. Only when Sarah (Hanna Shields) or Sky pull them into their bed, which takes up nearly the entire space, do they become active participants. It's an effective bit of staging that rejects traditional gendered power dynamics.

It's a shame then that the rest of the piece simply can't live up to its early promise. Shields' and her co-star's performances are stilted and awkward. Their characters, said to be inseparable, do not make a convincing duo. Because their friendship is unconvincing, its eventual breakdown fails to resonate at all.

The script is equally adept at building emotional barriers between audience and actor. The social commentary of Sarah, Sky … is not woven into the narrative, but rather highlighted through sharp segueways. This stylistic approach makes engagement impossible, which ultimately makes the whole piece feel disappointingly hollow.

C royale, until 28 Aug (not 15), 4.40pm, £10.50--£11.50 (£8.50--£9.50).