FRICTION – Theatre503, Battersea

Writer: Victoria Strupish 
Director: Meg Wilson and Molly Walker

Reviewer: Christine Stanton

“Humorous & Endearing”

4 / 5

Newly single Grace is keen to start exploring her sexual preferences, quickly finding herself thrown right into the deep end at BDSM club FRICTION.  Drowning in acronyms and unsure of what type of kink she has, she panics that it’s too much too soon, but where better to start than here? 

Victoria Strupish has written Grace (Lucy Gray) to be a fantastically likeable character, her relatable, endearing persona is perfectly believable as the intrigued, yet hesitant beginner. Her monologues about each of her experiences are performed well, hilarious thoughts voiced aloud with perfect comedic timing, But, aside from the funny side of experiencing a forage into BDSM for the first time, there is an emotional poignancy to the writing as well, that allows for a touching connection to the character in between her comedic contemplations. Her apprehension about getting involved, bad experience with a pushy punter and k-hole nightmare are all showcased with a brilliantly realistic lens, performed by Gray with natural charisma.  

The various people Grace interacts with are played by Meg Wilson, Adam Hasyim and Molly Walker. This talented trio undertake various different roles from Grace’s boss at the coffee shop, love interests and fellow patrons at FRICTION that become friends of hers. Walker’s depiction of the ‘seen it all’ bouncer on the doors of the club is wonderfully funny, with expert comedic skill. Hasyim’s confidence is perfectly alluring, his playful cheekiness creating great chemistry with the others. Wilson’s depiction of Alex is absolutely fantastic, getting the mannerisms of the manipulative BDSM veteran down to a tee. While the writing alone has created a great show, these four talented actors couldn’t have been cast better. 

Although it sounds like a relatively niche show, it truly isn’t – no BDSM experience or knowledge needed to enjoy this humorous, uplifting story about someone just trying to find something that makes them happy, no matter how unorthodox that may initially seem.  

Runs until 3^rd October 2024