Good in Bed

Written and directed by Brenda McFarlane. Performed by Adrian Churchill, Janet Snetzsinger, Francisca Zentilli & Karen Ivany.

A play challenging women who embrace a masculine attitude, distill the worth of a man into his physical abilities. and view sex as merely a physical pleasure devoid of emotional connection.

Review by H.J. Kirchoff – The Globe and Mail

Good in Bed written and directed by Brenda McFarlane (Suzi got Her Lips Tattooed), deals with just about the toughest subject there is for theatre – sex. The operative question and springboard for the show is: “Was he good in bed?” What follows is 60 minutes of sharp and mostly face-paced sketches, monologues and routines that get right to the heart — or whatever body part — of the matter. The show sometimes drifts close to smuttiness or stereotyping but McFarlane shows a dab hand with lively, intelligent gag lines, and often touches on the hard truths of relationships.

There are plenty of naughty bits, and at some points things begin to get too close for confort — when the house lights come up and two women actos discuss in graphic detail, the sexual possibilities of randomly selected men from the audience, dor instance. But generally, when the sexual politics become pretentious, or when the tension (sexual or otherwise) becomes too inflated, McFarlane usually provides a barbed laugh to puncture it. The four actos — Adrian Spencer Churchill, Janet Snetsinger and Francisca Zentilli have the bulk of the action onstage while Karen ivany sits for most of the show atop a high stool ocassionally emoting “I want… I want…” — negotiate is all with energy and aplomb.