Nobody wants to be 14 years old. And certainly nobody wants to be 14 years old and sat in a sex-education class. But Mamoru Iriguchi’s bizarrely funny play informs an audience of teens and adults alike on all manner of sexual wonders. Brought to life by Independent Arts Projects, it presents an unorthodox sex-history workshop that universalises queerness and gender fluidity in a way we could have only hoped for at that age.

Iriguchi’s sex scientist and his plucky young sidekick Sam teach us about the evolution of sex and reproduction, ranging from pre-historic asexual amoebas to sex-changing clownfish. Before ‘the Dark Ages of The Binary’, most living creatures could self-reproduce (granted, this was hundreds of thousands of years ago, but you get their point). The duo’s genius use of props (with no lack of costume changes) combined with their Doc and Marty dynamic creates an hour of construct-destroying hilarity.

But Sex Education Xplorers (S.E.X) is more than just a biology lesson. After Iriguchi’s scientific explanation, Sam chimes in to remind us that sex is not just about reproduction. Their explanation of sex as a way to have fun and explore intimacy leads us into a wider discussion on queerness and gender beyond the binary. While their older colleague lives happily with his husband, Sam points out that trans and non-binary folk are still struggling for rights and recognition. This disjoint between older generations of gay people, and young trans and queer folk is beautifully touched on without taking focus away from the play’s educational core. The S.E.X team even hand out zines made by former audiences to continue the conversation after their informative and eye-opening workshop. 

Sex Education Xplorers (S.E.X), Dunoon Burgh Hall, Tuesday 3 October; Beacon Arts Centre, Greenock, Wednesday 4 October; reviewed at Platform, Glasgow.