munch

Munch is, in essence, a 60-minute poem about bondage by Ben Richards. The equivalent of Dr Seuss in a latex suit, performers Richards and Will Cousins share their account of a BDSM party (or munch) with rhymes, alternative Rodgers and Hammerstein classics and puppetry. Cousins, a puppeteer, brings to life a series of ridiculous characters over the course of the production. Not quite the A-Z of kink promised, Munch, presented by Sitch’n’Kink, nevertheless offers laughs and a brief foray into the world of BDSM.

To begin, the performers set out the rules of the play. There’s a mention of audience participation and everyone suddenly becomes interested in their shoes. A girl is chosen to be the Pinger – when a new word is introduced, they signal and she rings a bell. These terms are incorporated into the main narrative and explained with an honesty that would benefit sex ed teachers around the country. Richards and Cousins project the phrase onto the wall with their wonderful school-assembly-vibe overhead projector, we shout it back and they proceed to rap, sing, joke the explanation. The poetry is a lot of fun; Richards writes a rhythm that drives the show along with brilliantly popping plosives and rhymes that have you chuckling like a naughty schoolchild.

Although we were given a motivational message at the production’s close: to try to see the world in a new light, I didn’t leave feeling that Munch has a lot of substance. There isn’t any further depth into the community surrounding the event they attended, for instance. Munch has a great deal of light, poetic humour to offer but little else. Then again, in a time where 50 Shades of Grey is the dominant point of reference for all things kink, productions like this which create a dialogue and attempt to destigmatise the BDSM community are a positive step forward.

Munch is playing at Underbelly Med Quad (Venue 302) until 31 August (no performance on 19) as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. For more information, visit the Edinburgh Fringe website.