(We Indulge In) A Bit Of Roll Play theatre review: Gentle and sympathetic
Featuring Rosie Jones as a mischievous ‘CripGod’, inclusive positivity outweighs incisive commentary in this comment on sex and disability
Divided broadly into three sections (a chaotic master of ceremonies intrudes into a tepid kitchen-sink drama before heading to a facsimile of an ecstatic, inclusive sex club), Roll Play opens a variety of issues without offering many conclusions. Speaking to themes of isolation and exclusion, and the power of sexual desire to overcome fear, the production is caught between an earnest depiction of social alienation and a joyous celebration of kink.
If Rosie Jones' CripGod injects Dionysian subversiveness, and the club provides a dynamic climax, the script that structures the storytelling is disappointing. It deals with serious matters, with the protagonist trying to negotiate a world that has no regard for his needs, parents painfully unaware of how to support him and a secret online life that simultaneously validates and encourages his isolation. But the contemporary concerns around online socialisation, ethical sex work, OnlyFans and generational miscommunication are gently probed, while the comedy lacks a penetrating force.
Well performed by the ensemble, and using the expansive space of Tramway to capture the claustrophobia of home and the openness of the club, Roll Play hesitates between comedy, experimental dramaturgy and traditional drama. Moments of eroticism are sensitively handled and the characters are presented with sympathy.
Yet, despite CripGod insisting that the play is not inspiration porn, it toys with intensity only to favour gentle positivity. The finale is lively and playful but the limited exploration of the important issues allows fantasy to obscure rather than resolve or critique harsh realities.
Reviewed at Tramway; picture: Mihaela Bodlovic.