Theatre review: Tender (Soho Theatre)

PREVIEW DISCLAIMER: The show has not yet officially opened to critics.

  

Dave Harris' Tender is the latest play to deal with a modern crisis of masculinity, although maybe one without quite the same level of toxicity as some of its predecessors. Darren Bennett plays a former adult performer who now leads a trio of male strippers called the Dancing Bears: Exploiting a loophole in New Jersey law, they are to all intents and purposes prostitutes, the mostly-female clientèle being allowed to do a lot more than just look when the men take their clothes off. But business has been tailing off lately, which turns out to be largely down to a new copycat club opening down the road - where the performers are a bit fresher, better dancers, and a couple of inches better-hung. The club's owner sends her daughter in to freshen up the show, but having previously attempted to be an artist and then a therapist, Bea (Jessie Mei Li) is less interested in choreography and more in deconstructing the men's feelings.

So Bennett's daddy figure turns out to have more than a few issues around how he's raised (or completely failed to) his own daughter, while youngest dancer Trey (Kwami Odoom) is so obsessed with being a great lover to his girlfriend he hasn't figured out how to enjoy sex himself yet.

Meanwhile Jeff (Dex Lee) has become prone to panic attacks on stage, while offstage he hides his insecurities behind an exaggerated persona - his gradually revealing the real person behind the comedian is one of the most interesting performances in an evening that isn't short of them. Jeff also manages to turn the tables on the frosty Bea, who turns out to be even less qualified to lecture anyone on "trusting us with your pleasure" than she initially appears.

Matthew Xia's production is very entertaining, even when it's only been previewing for under a week - it feels like it'll tighten up a bit and get even slicker after a few more performances. The quirky ending could definitely feel a bit tighter though. Harris has written a comedy-drama that wears the drama side lightly and reaps the benefits when those more serious moments do come. The overall effect is of a very funny evening with likeable characters.

It's also sexy when it needs to be, even if the whole point is that that sexiness has gone slightly off the boil. Hen parties who book by accident certainly won't get what they expected but there are a few moments of the Dancing Bears in action (the show has gone to some lengths to ensure that any audience participation is reserved strictly for those audience members happy to get involved.) Its premise could attract a lot of interest, but whatever the reason people end up at Tender what they'll get is funny, clever and indeed tender.

Tender by Dave Harris is booking until the 30th of May at Soho Theatre.

Running time: 2 hours 35 minutes including interval.

Photo credit: Alex Brenner.