REVIEW: Tesosterone at The New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth

Born from a conversation between two friends in a kitchen, Testosterone is as down to earth and honest as it gets.
Testosterone. Picture by Richard Davenport.Testosterone. Picture by Richard Davenport.
Testosterone. Picture by Richard Davenport.

The story follows Kit Redstone (starring as himself) and his confrontation with manhood a year after his first injection of testosterone as he comes to terms with his transition from a woman into a man. And it’s based in the most red-blooded arena of them all – the men’s changing room.

The plot revolves around Kit reminiscing though his past and what it was that made him the person he is today – with enough surrealism and lavish ‘daydreams’ throughout his monologue that the audience was kept guessing what sort of moment was next.

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The script was hilarious. Not just a steady giggles hilarious but continuous, fist-in-mouth funny from the dark but endearingly dirty humour that entwined comedy and candour just enough to strike a balance so that, when I wasn’t cackling at a half-naked cowboy, I was seriously questioning what it really means to be a man.

Finishing up after only one hour – it is a shame that the show couldn’t go on for longer as there didn’t seem to be any shortage of energy or lack of story to tell. But we still left feeling the buzz of an emotional hour well spent and the impact of the story.

After winning the best theatre show award at the Pleasance 2017 and being nominated for the Peter Brook Empty Space Award 2017 the production completely lives up to it’s status.

Speaking to other theatre-goers, the general consensus seemed to be that Testosterone was a genuinely thought-provoking and empowering piece of theatre.

If you get the chance, go.

JOE STACK