SOOLF was probably written before the alleged Chechnya persecution and Trump's comments on transgender people serving in the army and before celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the legalisation of homosexuality began. Nevertheless, this adds a serendipitous gravitas to the show – or at least in part anyway, as I'm sure you can guess from the title.
Agnew starts off vividly taking us through some – but not all – of his more voracious sexual experiences, becoming a 'brave' gay icon for a while and the hilarity that ensued from these situations. The laughs came from how he met his partners and how wrongly or rightly the sex went. With all kinds of existing taboos and discomforts around gay sex and HIV, Agnew tackles that so-called coyness head on.
In the middle portion of the show, Agnew begins to address his Catholic upbringing and, further on, how this shaped his approach to sex as an adult. His individual experience was one you wonder is widespread or not but regardless, is one that you know is likely, but is rarely said in so many words.
Finally, he tells an overlong but funny, bittersweet tale that silences the audience a bit more than it is meant to, but it packs a knockout punch to end the show. With heartfelt storytelling, the comedy is lifted to create a body and sex positive, experiential hour of words that need to be heard.
Scott Agnew: Spunk On Our Lady's Face is on at 22:15 every night except 15 August for the rest of the Fringe at the Gilded Balloon Teviot. For tickets and more info, visit the Fringe website.
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