Issy Cory
We log on to a chat forum with four incels: Ghost, Crusher, Einstain, and Cuckboy. Only problem is, Cuckboy had sex with Magaret last night, meaning he no longer fits the criteria of ‘involuntary celibate’. To make matters worse, this ‘foid’ (a combination of female and droid) Margaret joins their zoom call, and she has the potential to collapse the whole thing from the inside.
Crusher, the leader of the group, cannot stand that Margaret has a window into what is a sacred, incel-only space. He does, however, jump at the opportunity for her to cover their meeting in an article for the magazine she writes for. Rather than silently taking notes as she assures she’ll do, Margaret begins asking questions, weakening Crusher’s front as the other members of the group form an unlikely bond with the journalist.
The writing is superbly clever. Presumably, the majority of the incel dialogue is verbatim, and their vulgar, destructive, discriminatory rhetoric is just as hard-hitting here as it would be on any public platform. The characters are extremely well-established and their consistent use of incel jargon helps to build the dark online world which they inhabit.
A touch of makeup to create a monobrow, some crater-like pimples, or a pasty complexion pair well with the all-black fits that blend in with the background. All these elements establish them as a toxic chorus, moving as one until Cuckboy betrays their core principles.
The movement is at all times relevant to the narrative, however frequently overexplains the situation that it is depicting. With such a visceral script, there is little need for lengthy choreography that only partially adds to the message they’re trying to convey. The choice to end with a dance depicting Crusher’s demise through becoming the ‘last incel’ is a peculiar one, especially when the strength of the piece is the script.
That being said, the sequence telling the story of Margaret’s brother – another boy lost to the labyrinth of incel culture – was deeply felt, and speaks to the damage that incel culture can do to our nearest and dearest.
It is an incredibly tough subject matter to watch, let alone act out onstage, but the group do it with sincerity and flair. As an audience member, it is fascinating to see what language is received as comedic, and which lines stun the crowd into silence. There is nothing funny about the way that incel culture functions, and The Last Incel does fantastically to remind us of its horrifying consequences.
Recommended Drink: A can of Monster to get you through the long nights of gaming and moaning about lack of sexual gratification.
You can catch The Last Incel at Underbelly, Bristo Square – Jersey from Aug 8-11, 13-25 at 17:30. Tickets are available through the EdFringe Box Office https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/last-incel
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Phoebe Bakker
Jake Mace
