HOW I BECAME A DOMINATRIX USING DAMNED LIES AND STATISTICS by T. L. Wiswell Etcetera Theatre 30 July - 3 August 2018 ‘… a smart, thoughtful comedy about one woman’s decision to change her life through play’★★★★ Humans learn a lot through play, so why do we stop doing it? Why is it that, for so many of us, adulthood presents a point at which play stops? We settle into jobs and families and houses, and a version of ourselves we believe most appropriate for our age and our station. There are some who can continue in this way. There are others who grow restless. And whether it’s through buying a motor-bike or taking up BDSM, the desire to play returns. How I Became a Dominatrix is a smart, thoughtful comedy about one woman’s decision to change her life through play, and the impact that decision has upon the people whom she loves. Fleur de Wit plays the charming yet officious Christy, who, feeling that the spark has gone from her marriage, decides to enrol both herself and her shy but well-meaning husband Scott (Anthony Rhodes) on a sex course. The course, led by the aptly named Sunshine (Coral Tarran) and attended by a variety of colourful Seattle locals (Kyran Peet) will show both Christy and Scott a whole new world of alternative erotic practices – namely bondage, domination, and sadomasochism. The play is a refreshing take on sexuality and alternative lifestyles that are very often poorly and inaccurately represented in our culture as dirty, degenerate, and dangerous. T. L. Wiswell’s script snaps with quick wit, and the play’s sex workshop setting allows for a considerable amount of playful fourth wall-busting banter and audience participation. All of this is complemented perfectly by Micha Mirto’s tight direction and inventive staging, as well as a quartet of superb performances seemingly occupied by people who are all, in some way, navigating who they are and what they want – with varying degrees of success. Despite its playful tone, there is a deeper, and in some ways, bleaker story at the heart of How I Became a Dominatrix. For while the play offers a positive and inspiring message of self-actualisation, it pulls no punches about the sacrifices that sometimes need to be made on the journey. The one downside to the production relates to this very sacrifice, namely of Scott. Christy is at best ignorant of Scott’s feelings and, at worst, cruelly disregarding of them. She never quite understands why it might be that Scott is not as keen to embrace kink as she is, putting his misgivings down to moral objection or a lack of commitment to her happiness. She becomes a dominatrix, but a rather unsympathetic one – statistical yes, but lacking in compassion. Of course, this may well be the point, but audiences could feel a little dissatisfied with a hero who learns a lot about themselves, but not about those closest to them. How I Became a Dominatrix Using Damned Lies and Statistics is a fun and pleasantly educational piece, treating its subjects and subject matter with a respect that is sometimes regrettably lacking in mainstream media. In the end, we can all learn something about ourselves and others from play, and this production makes a solid case for why we should always keep an open mind to new experiences and the possibility of change. Reviewer Alex Hayward is a playwright, poet and author of short fiction. Raised in the West Country, Alex moved to London to pursue an MA in literature at Queen Mary University of London and has not left since. His plays deal with themes of nationalism, trauma, and the limits of idealism. @alexwhayward