Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Cast: Grant Robert Keelan, Stuart Crowther, Morten Aamodt.
In an opening that could have had Monty Python’s Eric Idle applaud for the utter creativity employed in the many different words used to describe sex between two men, L.I.P.A.’s Stuart Crowther’s play Spunk was something of a revelation.
The premise of a disabled person still having the physical need for sex is one that doesn’t tend to get talked about, whether gay or straight, it is usually swept under the carpet where some may believe the disabled person’s libido should be placed. However Spunk is much more than just the idea of a disabled person still finding the need to be held or touched, it is the recognition to see beyond the person and to those around them, those who may be carers or friends who shy away from even discussing the subject and asks the fundamental question that when it comes to sex, where does true disability lie?
Stuart Crowther’s incredibly interesting take on this lies at the heart of the play and with a sense of swiftness, the focus changes with great flair from the need of the disabled man, played by Grant Robert Keela with great sympathy, who is looked after to the carer himself. The person who gave it all up to look after his friend is in need of more therapy than the man in the wheelchair. It is clever writing such as this that gets to the heart of the psychological and moral ambiguous question on why people perceive sex should be considered normal for one but not for the other.
With Morton Aamodt portrayal of male prostitute Jag being seen as a confident and understanding person it certainly opens up the question of offering sex as a service between two consenting adults once more. Whatever the rights and wrongs, it cannot be denied that some people need to have the touch of another human being and if they cannot find it then to pay for it, however fleeting, is surely better than them becoming more frustrated and withdrawn from society.
Stuart Crowther’s play is one that will open up healthy debate and as a writer he justifies being thought of highly for bringing the question to the fore.
Spunk is on at the Unity Theatre on Saturday 26th July before heading to the Edinburgh Festival during August 2014.
Ian D. Hall