Review of ‘Looking For Giants’: “Fifty shades off-grey”

The King’s Head Theatre hosts the London premiere of this one-woman show embracing sexuality through the exploration of verbal BDSM fantasies. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the piece, to let us know if this intercourse of comedy and eroticism manages to kink in.

I swear to God (I know – that’s a good one) that I had no agenda at all when I took my friend to last night’s show. He did tell me right before dinner that he was starving – and that he was in the mood for something filling. Up until then, he had only eaten a banana during the whole day – and it was the boring kind, the yellow version (he was not being racist, just fruitier than usual…). Well, his prayers must have been answered through this play (let me make myself clear, I’m talking about theatre here…). After all, if there’s something this piece knows about, that’s how to tackle some issues full steam…

It was not that long… ago that the world was swept by the softcore fantasies of a middle-age TV producer, who had ventured into the realm of prose. From that moment, the heat was on. Everyone, either openly (cough) or in secret, was letting their imagination run wild – and probably something else too. They all wanted to feel what she was feeling. To have what she was having. To sink their teeth into… You get the picture. The sexual Pandora box had been unlocked. And with it, the shame of enjoying BDSM foreplay had been buried (and that just gave me an idea for later).

There’s nothing embarrassing about living your sexuality to the max. Neither is it to have your work juxtaposed to a multi-million literary (*smirk*) franchise. To have your talent compared with its author, though, is a different story. Fortunately enough, playwright Cesca Echlin can sigh in relief. Her work may grasp (and grope) a similar subject, but the substance it ejaculates is definitely richer than Dakota Johnson’s film tutorial to spice up your marriage.

Looking For Giants is a true story. It might not be based on a particular one, but it draws its entire content from reality. It’s an honest depiction of the journey we embark on, as we enter rooms that we didn’t think that existed within ourselves. It’s about how we connect with that dormant part of us that suddenly awakens – and begins to throb with more force and dominance than anything else we’ve ever felt inside before… Sorry…

As w*nk as this may sound, the text actually drills audiences into an interesting and, to some extent, profound concept of personal self-discovery. Successfully immersing the viewer into its outlandish universe, the script carves a detailed portrayal of the protagonist’s emotional path – and how she comes to terms with a side of her once repressed, but now overtaking her whole self-determination.

The problem arises when its compelling promise is, regrettably, left undelivered in the end. As much as we are aroused by the uncountable possibilities of its germinal idea, the final reaction is sadly closer to a big “oh” than the big O. The reason stems from its lack of evolution. We do have all the exposition we need, but not sufficient conflict to keep us hooked for the entire course of the evening. As a result, the interest begins to go down from an early point – and by the time we get to the conclusion, the overall sensation is nowhere close to genuine fulfillment.

Some elements help, nonetheless, to make of the narrative a more enticing experience. As for the production values, the greatest asset is provided by Skylar Turnbull Hurd’s visually striking lighting – which, in spite of some debatable choices, still manages to build a transporting atmosphere that effectively crystallizes the show’s psychological angle. The highest praise, though, must be given to Abby McCann in her solo rendition – exuding presence, attitude and stamina in what’s, in general, a rather satisfactory act.

Jerking towards a thrilling topic, but struggling to find the proper way to come into it, Looking For Giants makes a nice first attempt at toying with a penetrating genre, but it needs to grow bigger before regaling audiences with that big smash it aims for. A stronger focus on key theme development rather than honing its metaphoric speech is likely to give the piece a good poke into the right direction. As of now, it’s handling the correct tools, but it’s not until you push (and pull) each one of them to the very limit that the real magic begins.

All pictures credit to WoodForge Studios.

Looking For Giants plays at London’s King’s Head Theatre until 26 January. Tickets are available on the following link.

By Guillermo Nazara