REVIEW: BUNNY MAN by Christopher Lieberman at Barons Court Theatre 5 – 9 March 2024

“a fearless new talent and fresh perspective, Bunny Man is loaded and ready to fire.” ★★★

Anyone under the impression that ‘pegging’ is something to do with hanging out washing needs to get themselves to Barons Court Theatre for some eye-opening education. Pegging, the sexual practice of non-penis bearers wearing strap on dildos to anally penetrate men, is not new. First referenced by the Marquis de Sade in 1795, it has ancient roots. If all sexual acts are political, 'pegging' historically represents a reversal and subversion; in hetero-normative, cis-speak, female to male power. When transposed into the experience of an AMAB (assigned female at birth) trans gay man, it takes on a whole new significance.

The penis, one that becomes erect and can ejaculate, is the organ on which this entire play of 60 minutes, pivots. Writer and performer Christopher Lieberman, “a girl until eight years ago” presents his first one man performance with authenticity and humour. It was Freud who first identified the idea of Penis Envy as a theory of female psychosexual development. But penis envy doesn’t capture what Lieberman conveys here as a trans gay man, which is a profound ache for the absent organ. This desire to be wholly male with all the functioning equipment, is the holy grail. Phalloplasty is a long way off but that doesn’t stop Lieberman constantly checking inside his pants to see if anything has appeared. His “bonus hole” meanwhile, insensitively described by a queer male hook up - makes him feel less whole - and perhaps less of a gay man.

Having established what the protagonist wants (a working penis) , audiences are taken on a fascinating voyage through gay dating and sexual encounters, based on observations and experience, combined with all the additional complexities of gender reassignment including hormone replacement therapy. With phalloplasty a distant solution, magical thinking steps in to complete the narrative. A "surprisingly butch" camping trip turns spooky and some supernatural elements and mythological horror slash urban myths are thrown into the mix. When Chris journeys into the woods, this also works on a metaphorical level as he makes the uncharted journey from one gender to another. Here he faces down demons, delivers retribution and finds some kind of resolution. Some of this is a little clunky and self-conscious and if this is a play of two halves, it’s the raw and authentic realism that lingers in the mind in this edgy and relevant show.

Lieberman’s warm, charismatic delivery and engaging work disarms audiences and invites empathy and understanding regardless of gender or sexual orientation. A raw talent and vital new voice at the cutting edge of LGBTQ+ theatre, it’s remarkable to think, Lieberman only left secondary school in 2021. Bringing a fresh perspective to audiences, he speaks openly and fearlessly to a specific experience and is a talent to watch.

Bunny Man is loaded up and ready to fire for another three nights.

Box Office https://www.baronscourttheatre.com/bunnyman

Reviewed by Nilgin Yusuf