Tobacco Factory Theatre Bristol Review: Animal
Show Summary
Rating: ★★★
Running Dates: Wednesday 12th of April – Saturday 15th of April (Tobacco Factory Theatres), Wednesday 19th of April – Saturday 20th of May (Park Theatre)
Where to see it: Tobacco Factory Theatres, Bristol; Park Theatre, London
Duration: 2 hour 30 minutes (with interval)
Keywords: Comedy, Authentic, Thought-Provoking, Disability Awareness
‘Animal’ Review
For the past decade, John Bradfield has been the brains behind numerous successful plays including A Hard Rain, Cinderella (starring Drag Race finalist, Baga Chipz) and Above the Stag Theatre’s sell out queer adult pantomimes. Animal, the latest play by John Bradfield together with Josh Hepple (writer, journalist, PhD in International Law) opens in Bristol for a 4 day only stint after a successful showing in Manchester.
Having won the inaugural Through the Mill Prize (Hope Mill Theatre) and coming in Top Five for the Papatango Prize (The biggest playwriting award in UK), Animal explores the challenges of sex and disabilities in a hilarious and unexpectedly heart wrenching manner as we follow the main character David – a gay, disabled and ridiculously horny character through his journey to satisfaction using Grindr amongst other tools.
Christopher John-Slater, who plays David, does a wonderful job at showcasing the struggles and complexities of the character, who isn’t written as a perfect human who makes no mistakes but instead as an ordinary person who through this journey, stumbles and even without meaning to end up hurting those closest to him.
The scene when you enter the theatre is set in such a smart manner which allows for an ease of transition between the scenes by utilizing sliding doors and a convertible sofa. Act One opens with us starting in David’s Apartment along with his main carers, his flatmate Jill (Amy Loughton) and Derek (Matt Ayleigh) and not even 5 minutes into it, the audience was filled with belly laughs.
This ends up being a recurring theme throughout the first act and the play in general as you can’t stop yourself from reacting with giggles, groans at David’s oops moments and reaching for the tissues – to wipe tears away of course!
In this act we meet the people behind David’s sexual encounters, sometimes endearing and other times so disastrous you want to yell ‘No David! Swipe left, run, don’t meet him!’. It is in this act that we meet Liam (played by Joshua Liburd) who portrayed the vulnerability and the emotional struggles of his character so easily.
Act Two continues with a slight depart from the comedic element while delving deeper into the raw emotions of the situations that David finds himself in, the respective consequences and showcases just how complex manoeuvring the dating world can be for those in the disabled community.
Thorough out this journey, the cast does a brilliant job at showcasing their different roles and the heart they bring to it is part of the core reason that Animal ends up being such a wonderful play. Amy Loughton brings such a heart to her character Jill that you can’t help but feel her pain through the difficult moments she encounters and her portrayal truly had me in a bit of an emotional state by the end of it.
The unexpected dual roles played by Matt Ayleigh (Nuno/Derek) and Harry Singh (Mani/Michael) was such an unexpected highlight. Harry Singh had me questioning my sight for a moment and wondering if they had twins in the play simply because of how well and seamlessly he transitioned between his two roles, not only playing David’s stereotypical flamboyant gay best friend but also played Jill’s very ‘man-ly’ boyfriend.
The only slight downside that feels important to highlight would be that there are moments in Act Two play that can be triggering for some in regard to Sexual Assault. Which ideally should be highlighted prior for audience members and feels like an area that should be delved into further or avoided in general versus it being a passing moment.
Overall, Animal is a beautifully funny representation of what is so often an under-represented group in society let alone when it comes to plays. With the dating app culture these days, dating and hooking up tends to be a struggle for most of us but this highlights the often untold added complications for those in the disabled community.
This play manages to bring you on a journey from the start to the end, where you find yourself laughing one moment and having your heart broken all while still laughing, the next. A wonderful show that leaves you with a lasting impression and you can’t help but think about Animal and the issues it covers days later.
Standout Moment: Multiple brilliant moments including Mani/Michael dual roles
See If: You love a unique story that brings you laughter, joy and moments of heartbreak
Last Impression: A thought-provoking performance by an incredibly talented and warm team!
Written by Annabel Leo