From the creator of the hugely successful Fleabag comes Touch, an authentic and absorbing comedy which charts one woman’s quest to sexual liberation and self-discovery. Dee is 33, and has recently moved to London from Wales. She lives alone (if you don’t count the resident mouse) in a tiny studio flat which serves as the set of the play’s action. Single, in a stopgap job and freely exploring life within temporary realms, Dee confronts the complexities of reinventing herself against diverging opinions from those around her, and against the 21st century landscape of dating, sex and expectations of women.
As the narrative unfolds and we are immersed deeper into Dee’s relationships, the set revolves so that not an angle of her surroundings isn’t exposed, much like her escapades. Amy Morgan is delightful as Dee – captivating, endearing and hilarious as the focal character, and genuinely relatable in a way that isn’t crass or cringe worthy. The play essentially follows her through numerous interactions with others during her time in London, each relationship unique and complex, and each addressing aspects of modern sexuality in perceptive and candid fashion. Despite Morgan’s magnetism, the male cast deliver heaps of flavour and humour to the performance, particularly Edward Bluemel as posh intern Paddy, and James Clyde as the facilitator for Dee’s deepest fantasies.
The star of the show however is Vicky Jones, who’s writing and direction is slick from the very outset, and exposes the realities of being a ‘modern woman’ with refreshing veracity. She poses interesting questions about feminism, gentrification and liberal ideology throughout the script without ham fisting clichéd remarks about contemporary society, and explores sex, connection and control with intelligence and wit. Touch is the fourth collaboration between Soho Theatre and Drywrite, and it is a delicious cocktail of liberation, sexuality and city living. It’s not just for Fleabag fans – Touch is genuinely entertaining in its own right, and has universal appeal in its intelligent comedy. Get ready to laugh, wince and engage in an interesting dialogue about society in 2017. Don’t miss it!