Sexual Perversity in Chicago | Crescent Theatre Birmingham

Image Credit: Crescent Theatre

As a little post-exams treat, my friends and I trotted off to the Crescent Theatre in Birmingham to see Sexual Perversity in Chicago. We knew one of the actors in it but nothing about the play itself so I went into it with a completely open mind and ended up really enjoying myself. The play took place in the Studio, which is a really small intimate space which I think was perfect for this play. Every line was heard and not only did I feel connected to the actors because of this small space but also to the other audience members as we were all having this shared experience, like we were intruding on people's personal lives. Without going into too much detail about the plot, two of the cast members fall in love while their friends are (intentionally or not, we don't quite know) interfering and pulling them apart.


The show was really strong, with all the characters being so believable and I loved how the stage space was used- just small sections of different rooms around the stage (for example a bed, a bar table and chairs, a sofa) which meant for super quick transitions between scenes punctuated purely by 70s music. The dialogue made the audience laugh aloud throughout but this was interspersed with moments of real sensitivity and was thought-provoking too.

I stayed for the After Dark after the show with the four cast members and the director being asked questions by the audience. It was so interesting to see what other members of the audience took from the play especially because there was such an age range there. Personally I found that, even though it was set in the 1970s, I still found it to be so relatable to the modern day and the different mindsets of men and women sparked a debate about sexism (in my mind at least!) and whether things have really changed since then.

Unfortunately the play only runs until this evening (Saturday 20th) but there's a lot of other great things coming up at the Crescent- I'm looking forward to the musical In The Heights next month, a show I've wanted to see for a long time- so I'd definitely recommend taking a peek at what's on here.