In the world of modern dating, we can all relate to Amelia who struggles to get a guy whilst her housemate Jo has a date every day of the week. In an attempt to better her luck with love, she goes to see a sexual spiritual healer to get some ‘Sex Magick’ and that’s when the madness ensues.
Natasha Zierhofer is an impressive lady for writing, producing and starring in this production, but the comedy is very subjective. The intimate space of Barons Court was packed full; and a lot of people were laughing, but it was a struggle to get on board with the humour. Zierhofer has written relatable dialogue for Amelia, Julian and Jo; but the absurdist nature of Luna/Equador clashes with the realism of the other characters, making the laughs from Luna/Equador not hit the mark.
All the actors involved gave their all to their performances, with everyone having challenging scenes: yet Anca Vaida was the star of the show with her dual roles of Luna/Equador. These characters are the soul of the play, and Vaida plays both roles with fervour – despite the comedy being immature and bizarre.
The transitions between scenes felt a clunky: this may be due to the dimensions of the space, but it was disjointing and at times slightly amateur. Adding to this was the surrounding audience members taking photos and videos throughout the production, as they clearly knew Vaida. Irritating and distracting, their behaviour took away from her performance.
In combination, these elements meant that the production felt more like a a school production than a professional one – which is a shame as the concept has real promise, and the cast gave their all. Sex Magick is an acquired taste, that not all will connect with.
Niamh Flynn
Niamh Flynn has been involved in youth theatres and school productions from a young age, and studied Literature & Drama at university. Niamh has always had a keen interest in theatre both in an on stage and off stage capacity. Working for an advertising agency; she loves that Upper Circle allows her to keep in touch with her creative side outside of work, whilst providing her the opportunity to see lots of different styles of theatre.
