Searching undeterred: The Gift @ParkTheatre

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.
Ishtar tries to convince him it is a lost cause but appreciates the money anyway. She explains that the woman is from Denmark, and he's from Australia, so their values are very different. Very few Australian or English audiences would necessarily know about Denmark since it rarely features in our news, so it's helpful that the play sets out what these values are.
The play first premiered in Sydney in 2019, and part of the comedy is slightly unnerving, given how things have moved on since then. Social media has become even darker, more aggressive and angrier. Social media content seems designed to serve the most ludicrous conspiracies and conflicts.
Bearing this in mind, it makes the jokes about women in this post-COVID, post-Sarah Everard, post-Bondi Junction world land uneasily. On the other hand, the cast reveals the characters' vulnerability, making this a less caustic tale than real life. And there is plenty of laughter among the fast pacing and silliness. Even if, at times, it feels more like nervous laughter.
Directed by Sally Woodcock, Banging Denmark is at the Finborough Theatre until 11 May.
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Photos by Ali Wright