Boy Parts – Soho Theatre, Soho

Reviewer: Christine Stanton

Writer: Gillian Greer (based on the Eliza Clark novel)

Director: Sara Joyce

“Seductive & Sinister”

4 / 5

Irina is a photographer – using her camera lens to capture intimate portraits of the men she scouts around Newcastle. Whether it’s Eddie from Tesco, or Will with the babyface, she gets them at their most vulnerable and happy to succumb to all of her demands until she gets a perfect final shot.

The men (or in most cases, boys) she brings to her flat are excited for the chance at modelling – more excited with the potential prospect that she’s making a move on them. Her flatmate Flo hates it – mainly because her partner Michael is against the idea almost as much as he dislikes Irina. But Flo is drawn to Irina, the power imbalance clear from the start – with Irina relishing the attention and hold she has over her supposed friend, although her narration about her weight and personality is never complimentary.

Power is the centre of all of Irina’s interactions – thriving off of taking control and being in charge of situations. As the narrative progresses, we quickly learn that she is an unreliable narrator, conflating stories from her past and confusing timelines with hallucinations, fantasies and invasive thoughts. Morally ambiguous, it’s hard as an audience to know whether to root for or against her, as well as hard to know what’s true and what isn’t – the only thing for sure is that the story is shocking, gripping and completely unpredictable.

Based on Eliza Clark’s novel, Gillian Greer has taken Boy Parts and adapted it for the stage very well, capturing all of the darkly dangerous interactions and keeping the tension high. It’s great to see traditional gender tropes subverted, pushing ethical boundaries and making the audience question everything they’ve seen long after the show. Aimée Kelly is fantastic as Irina – equal parts sinister and seductive, confidently holding her own during this one-woman show, portraying a variety of the side characters in addition to herself.

The set is simple – with occasional projected backgrounds to change location, as well as email correspondence and flashing animations that relate to whatever story is being told at the time. For a show centred around art and photography, it would be great to see a little bit more of that influence on the stage. The adhoc visuals really help to ignite the story and capture audience attention, so more of this would be really well received, and still in keeping with the narrative at hand.

This is a twisted story, that takes the audience on an unexpected journey (if you haven’t already read the book). The storyline ramps up quickly and intensely, with an overload of gritty detail that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats.

Runs Until 25 November 2023