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The agony and the misogyny: Banging Denmark @finborough

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Banging Denmark, the comic play by Van Badham, answers the question, what lengths does a misogynistic pickup artist go to date with a frosty Danish librarian? It may be an uneasy farce given the subject matter, but it is made more palatable by the cast assembled to convince you of it. It's currently having its European premiere at the Finborough Theatre .  It opens with Guy DeWitt (Tom Kay) at one end of the stage. His real name is Jake, and he's a part-time podcaster whose expertise is misogyny and playing the role of the pickup artist. That is, someone who attempts to coax women into having sex with a mix of flattery or manipulation. His podcast attracts a variety of involuntarily celibate men (or incels), so call in asking for advice. And while he gives the impression of living the high life, he is in a grimy flat strewn with empty pizza boxes.  At the other end of the stage is feminist academic Ishtar (Rebecca Blackstone). She lives out of the photocopy room, losing all her

The other path: The Unbuilt City @kingsheadthtr

Life love and legacy is at the heart of The Unbuilt City, Keith Bunin’s play having its European premiere at the King’s Head Theatre. And a lot of talk about sex with men over a bottle of bourbon. But all told it’s a delicate and contemplative two-hander marked by sensitive and warm performances.

Set on a cold afternoon in February. Jonah (Jonathan Chambers) arrives at a townhouse in Brooklyn Heights. His mission is to persuade Claudia (Sandra Dickinson) to sell her secret art collection to a university archive. Particularly her documents relating to an architect and his unrealised plans for New York City. 

But even if she can’t afford to heat her house and debts are mounting, she won’t part with her collection to anyone. She wants to know why Jonah is acting as a free agent. What are his passions, his regrets and his loves. Over the course of the piece each reveal a little about themselves and what things could have been. 

Bunin’s piece The Busy World Is Hushed was set against the backdrop of translating a lost Biblical text. Here it’s about a lost master plan that would have revitalised the city. But both pieces try to delve into the minds and hearts of people. 

The set consists of little more than a pink curtain, a set of drawers and a window. And so it’s up to the performances to make this piece work. And they do. Chambers and Dickenson spar and challenge each other as they knock back the drinks. He is the sharp and earnest student with ill-defined plans. She is the weary ex-socialite wanting to pass on her knowledge (and collection) to the right person. They’re occasionally funny, but always come across as genuine.

A more contemplative offering from the Kings Head. Directed by Glen Walford, The Unbuilt City is at The Kings Head Theatre until 30 June. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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