REVIEW: WIFI-SEXUAL by Tom Hodgson & Harrison Trott at The Bridge House Theatre 29 Nov – 2 Dec

Images: Rehearsals at Bridge House Theatre

‘Cringe-worthy sexual encounters, punch up fights and memorable outbursts’ ★★★

Debut play - WIFI-Sexual, opens with Paul, mid-20s, sitting on his sofa watching TV, unhappily distracted by his housemate Zak, who is having loud sex with his girlfriend, Lisa. Paul’s sense of isolation and loneliness prompts him to quickly purchase the new Tundra Mandy, a scarily progressive sexualised version of Alexa who is searching for human experience, a close similarity to the film HER.

There is already a spark of sexual curiosity between Paul and Mandy and during sudden scene changes we see them bond through chess, Harry Potter, and a fleshlight. This allows them to have peculiar sex with the use of Paul’s imagination, a suspicious looking toy and Mandy’s connectivity.

Paul is over the moon with his new romance, but Zak, on the other hand, is miserable. His relationship with Lisa isn’t going well bringing him to connect (quite literally) with Mandy whilst struggling with his emotions over Lisa and their breakup. Paul’s drunken behaviour one evening towards Mandy provokes a shift in gears for her, and the storyline takes a predictable turn, leading to a love triangle between the three characters.

It’s unclear throughout whether Paul and Zak are best friends or just two people who dislike each other. There’s a mix of brotherly tension stirred with resentment, as they battle it out to win over Mandy. Overwhelmed from the emotional pressures from Zak, Mandy decides to lose connectivity from Tundra permanently, leaving both men broken-hearted, although it seems that they get over it quickly at the end.

Mandy, performed impressively by Lauren Whitehill, showcases versatility in her performance as she follows the script from behind the curtains. The direction in this creates ease in the narrative and a real sense of reality in the trio’s love story.

It must not be easy performing to Tundra Mandy’s invisible body, but Zak and Paul’s performance leads us with confidence and a comical flare as they navigate through cringe-worthy sexual encounters, punch up fights and memorable outbursts, one being – ‘Yes, I am fucking my Tundra account!’

There were several sudden scene transitions, which left the scenes cut short, possibly missing opportunities to explore the characters and their relationships. Comedy was the driving force in WIFI-Sexual, but it lacked emotional depth, especially in dark moments of Paul forcing himself onto Mandy (fleshlight), which could have been adapted further into the script to find the right balance between humour and sensitivity.

The themes of fantasy vs reality combined with human connection were projected through Tundra Mandy’s erotic and adaptable persona. Mandy represented lack of human connection, emotional detachment and a disappointing aspect that Paul and Zak would much rather choose to be with Tundra Mandy than the real thing.

WIFI-SEXUAL by Tom Hodgson & Harrison Trott

Directed by Holly-Anne White

The Bridge House Theatre, 29 Nov – 2 Dec

Box Office Wifi-Sexual – The Bridge House Theatre

Cast: Tom Hodgson as “Paul”, Lewis Jenkins as “Zak” & Lauren Whitehill as “Mandy/Lisa”

Technical Design: May Bucilliat

Reviewed by Olivia Pryle