Former chronic public masturbator Olivia Levine is laying everything out at her show in The Mash House, and to avoid burying the lead, it’s bloody brilliant.
Now, this isn’t (just) a show about masturbating, this is a show about the consequences of those actions. Olivia has OCD, and the guilt that stemmed from one particular episode set her spiralling down a path of obsessions and compulsions that went undiagnosed throughout her childhood.
OCD is often misunderstood, and frequently misused by an unknowing public. For example, needing to go to Starbucks in the morning isn't OCD. Having such an obsession about being unclean that you wipe until you bleed, is. Having a preoccupation with death where you have to ritualistically say ‘done’ 16 times without thinking about a gun is OCD. At its worst, OCD can be a debilitating and life-ruining condition, but is somehow still a “trendy illness”.
Given the often challenging reality of OCD, it really is a testament to Olivia’s charm, sweetness, and all-round earnestness that elevates what could be a really harrowing story into something endearing and hilarious. The confidence with which she shares such explicit details of her personal life, her sexual proclivities, and her medical condition is awe-inspiring: doubly so when you learn her dad is in the audience – making the incestuous sex-dream confession even more hilarious. And the bit with the orange even more awkward...!
I loved this show, and I love Olivia. The candid way she approached her OCD, her sexuality, her difficulty with relationships, and the challenging path to self-acceptance is incredible, and her ability to do so with such levity and hilarity is exceptional.
Honestly, I can’t push this show enough, please go and see it.
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