Brighton Fringe: sex and who is allowed to have it in a Covid world

The question of sex in a Covid world is examined by character comedy duo Horseplay for the Brighton Fringe.
Horseplay - copyright Skye BakerHorseplay - copyright Skye Baker
Horseplay - copyright Skye Baker

Spokeswoman Hannah Turk explains: “In March 2020, character comedy duo Horseplay (Derek Mitchell and Kathy Maniura, winner of Sketch Off 2020) found themselves stuck 300 miles apart when two unexpected things happened – a global pandemic and the Home Office lost Derek’s exceptional talent visa.

“They spent the year rewriting their second show over Zoom, and now a new and improved version of Bareback is returning to the stage – and what better place for its campy debut than Brighton?

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“The show follows a kaleidoscope of characters as they navigate life after death including a self-help guru, a failed actress, an artisanal dildo maker and a talking anus and vagina. In this wild ride through musical numbers, quick changes and wigs galore – and as the stability of the afterlife starts to unravel – it turns out maybe everyone isn’t as happy as they pretend to be.

“In a Covid world, the questions of sex (who is allowed to have it), performance (literally restricted) and death feel all the more relevant. After the past year, the story provides the escapist comic relief that we so desperately need, while addressing these ideas in a way that resonates.”

The show is at The Warren: The Oil Shed, Victoria Gardens, Brighton, BN1 1UB on June 17 and 18 June and July 10 (60 mins), £10.