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[title]The Muppets! Those lovable, happy-go-lucky puppets can brighten the gloomiest of days. Unfortunately, Jim Henson’s creations have an ‘impenetrable copyright’, so Brett Goldstein’s decided instead to write a storytelling hour focusing on pornography.
If you’re thinking ‘Wahey, lads!’ think again: Goldstein studied feminism at university. He’s also made his way through a hefty percentage of internet porn, but that wasn’t exactly part of the course…
‘Contains Scenes of an Adult Nature’ carefully, and thoughtfully, mixes thought provoking ideas about the increasingly sexualised world we live in with a riveting yarn. Goldstein struggles with balancing his intellect and instinct. For example: why, when a friend reveals the outrageous price tag for a first class transatlantic flight, does his brain immediately assume the ticket must include some kind of sexual reward from an air hostess?
The central story, though, focuses on Goldstein’s time studying acting in New York. When a seemingly endless blackout signaled a possible apocalypse, he found himself in a scene not unlike the videos he’s streamed and he begins to question his primal urges and how he’s been influenced by an overly-sexualised environment.
It’s an ambitious show, and what makes it all the more impressive is the amount of belly-laugh jokes that add weight to, rather than jar with, the serious themes.
This is proper grown-up storytelling. Not just because of the graphic content, but because it requires mature audiences to think about sex with their heads and not with their genitals.
See 'Brett Goldstein – Contains Scenes of an Adult Nature' at the Edinburgh Fringe