Banana Boys
theSpace in the Mile, Venue 2
12:15
“Sports and sex. Cam and Cal have been best friends since jumping off a cliff at the age of eight. But when sex and hormones infiltrate the boys’ football team, the boys begin to struggle with their sexuality.”
Review by Richard Lambert, 3 Stars
Any teenage boy who’s well endowed is a “Banana Boy” – so the locker room banter goes. “Tiny carrots” more aptly describing others. That’s not the only things these adolescents say to classify the World around them. Each boy with a different character – one disrespects females, one is a thug, one is a sensitive type and another is gay who wears make-up. Similarly with the girls – there’s the sensible one, the one who wants to get attention who will flash her boobs, the wanting-a-boyfriend girl….and so it goes on.
So the gay boy is the intelligent one who manages to intellectualize his bullying. The boy who’s coming to terms with his sexuality and falls in love with the gay boy is of course the quiet boy who thinks the manipulative thug is his best friend. Sadly there are no surprises in the characterizations.
However, having said that, this play has a lot of heart and does tug at the heart strings. Some of the cast are really believable and a joy to watch!
The lighting was rather fierce – outdoor woodland scene all in dark green, indoor dance by the girls in dark red, disco in magenta. Some brave colour choices that jar a little! The Sound helps with the scene changes and it was all operated on cue.
Although a little predictable this play does have some funny one-liners and is a realistic representation of adolescent coming-of-age and struggles with sexuality. It has a lot of heart and tugs at the heart strings.
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Handed out:
SHAG – Sexual Health and Growth
Twitter: @Iwanttoshag