Jake Mace
̶̶̶D̶̶̶̶̶e̶̶̶̶̶v̶̶̶̶̶a̶̶̶̶̶s̶̶̶̶̶t̶̶̶̶̶a̶̶̶̶̶t̶̶̶̶̶i̶̶̶̶̶n̶̶̶̶̶g̶̶̶̶̶,̶̶̶ ̶̶̶b̶̶̶̶̶a̶̶̶̶̶t̶̶̶̶̶h̶̶̶̶̶e̶̶̶̶̶d̶̶̶̶̶ ̶̶̶i̶̶̶̶̶n̶̶̶̶̶ ̶̶̶a̶̶̶̶̶l̶̶̶̶̶l̶̶̶̶̶e̶̶̶̶̶g̶̶̶̶̶o̶̶̶̶̶r̶̶̶̶̶y̶̶̶̶̶ ̶̶̶a̶̶̶̶̶n̶̶̶̶̶d̶̶̶̶̶ ̶̶̶m̶̶̶̶̶e̶̶̶̶̶t̶̶̶̶̶a̶̶̶̶̶p̶̶̶̶̶h̶̶̶̶̶o̶̶̶̶̶r̶̶̶̶̶,̶̶̶ ̶̶̶o̶̶̶̶̶f̶̶̶̶̶f̶̶̶̶̶e̶̶̶̶̶r̶̶̶̶̶i̶̶̶̶̶n̶̶̶̶̶g̶̶̶̶̶ ̶̶̶a̶̶̶̶̶ ̶̶̶p̶̶̶̶̶a̶̶̶̶̶i̶̶̶̶̶n̶̶̶̶̶-̶̶̶̶̶s̶̶̶̶̶o̶̶̶̶̶a̶̶̶̶̶k̶̶̶̶̶e̶̶̶̶̶d̶̶̶̶̶ ̶̶̶i̶̶̶̶̶n̶̶̶̶̶s̶̶̶̶̶i̶̶̶̶̶g̶̶̶̶̶h̶̶̶̶̶t̶̶̶̶̶ ̶̶̶i̶̶̶̶̶n̶̶̶̶̶t̶̶̶̶̶o̶̶̶̶̶ ̶̶̶t̶̶̶̶̶h̶̶̶̶̶e̶̶̶̶̶ ̶̶̶T̶̶̶̶̶r̶̶̶̶̶a̶̶̶̶̶n̶̶̶̶̶s̶̶̶̶̶ ̶̶̶e̶̶̶̶̶x̶̶̶̶̶p̶̶̶̶̶e̶̶̶̶̶r̶̶̶̶̶i̶̶̶̶̶e̶̶̶̶̶n̶̶̶̶̶c̶̶̶̶̶e̶̶̶̶̶ ̶̶̶w̶̶̶̶̶h̶̶̶̶̶i̶̶̶̶̶l̶̶̶̶̶e̶̶̶̶̶ ̶̶̶s̶e̶a̶m̶l̶e̶s̶s̶l̶y̶ ̶d̶e̶l̶i̶v̶e̶r̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶̶̶a̶̶̶̶̶n̶̶̶̶̶ ̶̶̶e̶̶̶̶̶f̶̶̶̶̶f̶̶̶̶̶e̶̶̶̶̶r̶̶̶̶̶v̶̶̶̶̶e̶̶̶̶̶s̶̶̶̶̶c̶̶̶̶̶e̶̶̶̶̶n̶̶̶̶̶t̶̶̶̶̶ ̶̶̶l̶̶̶̶̶i̶̶̶̶̶g̶̶̶̶̶h̶̶̶̶̶t̶̶̶̶̶n̶̶̶̶̶e̶̶̶̶̶s̶̶̶̶̶s̶̶̶̶̶ ̶̶̶t̶̶̶̶̶h̶̶̶̶̶a̶̶̶̶̶t̶̶̶̶̶ ̶̶̶t̶̶̶̶̶r̶̶̶̶̶a̶̶̶̶̶n̶̶̶̶̶s̶̶̶̶̶c̶̶̶̶̶e̶̶̶̶̶n̶̶̶̶̶d̶̶̶̶̶s̶̶̶̶̶ ̶̶̶n̶̶̶̶̶a̶̶̶̶̶r̶̶̶̶̶r̶̶̶̶̶a̶̶̶̶̶t̶̶̶̶̶i̶̶̶̶̶v̶̶̶̶̶e̶̶̶̶̶,̶̶̶ ̶̶̶g̶̶̶̶̶e̶̶̶̶̶n̶̶̶̶̶r̶̶̶̶̶e̶̶̶̶̶,̶̶̶ ̶̶̶t̶̶̶̶̶i̶̶̶̶̶m̶̶̶̶̶e̶̶̶̶̶.̶̶̶.̶̶̶.̶̶̶
No, sorry, wrong show. This is just a review about a play that’s only about agriculture, and nothing else.
Speakbeast are hosting an agricultural conference! A play, about a cow, a car crash, and a salesman. Not a play about hormones, embryos, segregated healthcare, purported eugenics, or anything remotely related to that. Am I playing into the bit? Yes. Do I care? No, sorry.
We’re invited to the launch of a product that’s sure to revolutionise the farming industry. Anya Idrizi’s sleazy salesman character keeps swapping moustaches, and soon enough a Freemartin calf appears on stage. But for how long? What happens when a trio of mischievous youths break into a barn and find industrial quantities of illegal calf hormone feed? Which of them can deliver the best karaoke verse of an Elvis classic? And why the fuck does everyone keep being so cruel to Trans people?
For those unaware – a Freemartin calf is an intersex calf that is always born with a male twin. But don’t read into that too much – the salesman is all about efficiency, so no need to get into the nitty-gritty… Right?
This piece incensed an immense amount of passion in me. It is equal parts queer rage and absurdist masterpiece. We swing from vignettes describing utterly in-extinguishable torturous pain being inflicted on the Trans mind to fresh, dripping metaphors exploring everything from the effects of hormones on bodies of all kinds, to richly textured spoken word about how your community can lift you back to your feet.
While all of that may seem like an impossible task to draw into fifty minutes, Speakbeast traverse this boundless landscape with ease, verve, and whimsy, carrying us with them all the way. We flitter from moment to moment, drawn in by sections of intense, hard-hitting writing that viscerally unpick violence and its impacts, and then find ourselves yanked out into the literary wilderness by encounters with combine harvester deities and aforementioned karaoke seshes.
Each of the players drift between moments of meta-theatre and slipping into characterisation – other than the Salesman who is denoted by a comically different fake moustache each time, we never really know who is addressing us, but Speakbeast handle this with such hearty ethos that it doesn’t matter, and fits into this fluid mode of storytelling that dances in between discordant realities and fantastical farmyard frenzy. It’s a magnificent and distinct theatrical style that sets Speakbeast apart from the outset.
All are given a chance to show off their dramatical chops in sections of monologue – most enchantingly shining in Lois Hunt’s embodiment of a mouse puppet from earlier in the show, when they re-tell a mouse accidentally chomping on some hormones and finding that they like the changes. Lois delivers this wide-eyed queer joy with an immense amount of energy. At the piece’s darkest, writer-performer Isaac Frost hauntingly uncovers the furthest corners of spewed internet hatred, in a moment which leaves the audience in genuine physical revulsion. His genius writing meets heartfelt, genuine, and often hysterical performances throughout.
Majestic, mighty, unflinching – an earthquake of theatre that strings comedy into a potent exploration of the Trans experience. Should I do the bit again? I’ll do the bit again… Scratch the above, it’s actually just a play about a salesman ascending to tractor heaven.
Recommended Drink: Pair this with an Espresso Martini – smooth, but wakes you up to the real problems of the day.
Catch The Freemartin until August 17th (not the 11th) at theSpace Triplex – Studio from 22:35. Tickets are available through the EdFringe Box Office.
Phoebe Bakker
