To understand this review, let me first explain the title of this performance. A “F***boi” is a derogatory term referring to a contemptible person who uses other(s) for a strictly sexual relationship, most commonly used by millennials.
Now that we have that out of the way, why use such a word in the title of a play? It sure provokes anguish, anger and a clear gender-bias. The title certainly could stir some emotions, start some controversy, spark curiosity and created a sense of togetherness over a common millennial experience (i.e.: tinder).
Which is exactly what happened.
The co-creators/performers of Love Letters To F***bois Melina Wightman and Lia Stark become your best friends from the get-go; sharing their stories about dating, love and heartbreak in the age of tinder and f***bois – some hilarious, some triggering – then exposing their vulnerabilities and desire to be intimately valued. Laugh with them over recounts of eventually-terrible one-night stands over (a) free glass(es) of wine (one of their best rules during the show!).
Love Letters To F***bois is notabout stereotyping someone of the opposite gender however. As accredited and acknowledged at the start of the show, the term, originally coined from rap music, found its way into colloquial dictionary and slang. In fact, Wightman and Stark admit the times they too were f***bois and betrayed anyone who developed genuine feelings for them. The show takes a turn to in-your-feelings town when they read aloud a crude letter they each wrote to themselves, questioning their own sexual identities in the process of it all.
Crowd participation was very well-weaved throughout the performance and the audience relished every minute of the hour-long performance. From the required sips of wine taken with every f-bomb dropped, to writing about a f***boi we knew onto a blank letter given to each spectator, to vocalising personal stories on stage with a microphone in hand, live piano music by Jayce McNeill and a single limelight to get the mood right. By the end of it, it felt like I had been welcomed to an inclusive circle of friends.
Love Letters To F***bois is now playing from 9 to 18 August 2018 at Metro Arts, Brisbane.
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