Snake/Bad Adam is one hell of a theatre piece. Dosh Luckwell writes, directs and stars in this double-barreled performance that explores the dark aspects of gay sex and desire. The Melbourne-based theatre and erotica writer has toured with many different incarnations of this piece and has brought it to the Perth Fringe Festival with its biggest cast yet. Part drama, part dance, part poetry and part projection, this naked, writhing, sexual discussion doesn’t hide away from anything. Really.
Performed first, Bad Adam trails a young club goer, filled with burning need, who has fallen in lust with club Eden – the garden of temptation. There are scarce men to find, and this young man comes cruising every night. With raw sexuality, harsh language and exposed buttocks, we get an honest and somewhat crude look into the need for love and validation that drives the thirsty hunter.
Snake dives deeper – part theatre, part dance, Luckwell and his offsiders grind and thrust their way through an exploration of base, animalistic sexuality. Sweaty faces glisten and meat is thrown around on stage, both metaphorically and literally, in a look at what really drives sex.
While the acting in Snake/Bad Adam can be at times heavy handed, and the dialogue a bit crass, it’s a side of gay culture that is not often portrayed in the media, and is frankly shied away from. A host of symbolic props add depth through great biblical allusion. This piece has a gorgeous, dirty strength to it, and is intoxicating. If you’re looking for something to really sink your teeth into and to leave you breathless, Snake/Bad Adam is worth every moment. And you had better not bring your folks along – it’ll just be awkward.
‘Snake/Bad Adam’ played at the Blue Room Theatre Studio as part of Fringe World Festival 2016.
Words by Caz Stafford
[…] Originally posted at Pelican Magazine Online […]