Review - Dirty Talk at The Blue Room Theatre

Review by Tatum Stafford

LACUNA’s ‘Dirty Talk’ stormed The Blue Room stage in June, and on a freezing mid-week night, it was a pleasure to see this queer, new age rom com bring its audience on a wild ride through countless foreign fantasies. 

In the tight hour, we follow Jemima, who has experienced some less than ideal romantic entanglements that all seem to disappear from view when she puts her headphones on and dives into the genre of romantasy fiction. 

Through her headphones, we meet Fabiola, a strong and unabashed heroine who always saves the day and has a palpable sex appeal - particularly to listener Jemima. As the story progresses, the line between reality and fiction blurs until, no spoilers, Jemima and Fabiola’s relationship crosses a little closer into reality. 

Throw in a few hilarious cameos by Fabiola’s enemies and a rogue ticket inspector, and you’ve got a play that encourages its audience to reflect on whether big, fantastical romances are just for the (audio)books. 

Talia Zipper is magnetic as protagonist Jemima, and offers some of the show’s most captivating monologue moments (her sound design is similarly gripping, and provides an impressive soundscape for the transition into fantasy audioerotica). She is also responsible for the most poignant moment of the piece at its conclusion, which had the audience on tenterhooks and delivered the pay-off a play like this brilliantly built up to. 

Emily Jenkins’ Fabiola was an absolute scene stealer, and injected so much energy and zest into a venue as intimate as this one. Her chemistry with Zipper is incredibly impactful, and it was so fun to watch her physicality morph as each of Fabiola’s quests were laid out before us. Anna Knight also provided plenty of energy and comic relief, and as a trio, the three performers provided a suitably electric conclusion via, naturally, audiobook-esque format. 

Emily Jenkins and Tiahna Johnson, as co-writers, have done a fantastic job in creating a piece that feels not only current and escapist (a reason I’m sure many audioerotica enjoyers find the genre in the first place), but asking questions of its audience about female self empowerment and pleasure. This was a really enjoyable, funny, and poignant show that I hope has a long future ahead of it. 

Image Supplied