one4review | On 17, Aug 2019

As the title suggests this show is about the art of letter writing and a celebration of the dirtiest correspondence penned by well known authors, from James Joyce to Eleanor Roosevelt. Rachel Mars reads the letters directly to us enjoying the words and finding the wit and devotion in them without overtly trying to sensationalize. The feeling is oddly heart-warming rather than shocking.

There is a projection screen in the centre of the space which acts as a helpful running synopsis to the context of the letters. By the end of the show it builds a picture of some of the ingredients that fuel imaginative erotic mail. It is also used to present the eponymous contemporary counterpart: sexts. They are short, direct and often met with put downs or quickly quashed by the banal. These aren’t read aloud and it has the effect of diminishing them and making them feel passive. Everything is thoughtfully underscored with music.

Beyond the sheer thrill of listening to many a description of fisting and arseways f**king before lunchtime, this show has a much bigger question at its heart. It is about the way we communicate with each other in a world where everything is instantly available. How do we retain the erotic in our lives when we live so closely and have to meet so many other needs? There is a lot of food for thought in this show and I’d say a great way to start the day, with open minded impropriety.

****.5
Reviewed by Sarah
Summerhall-Red Lecture Theatre
11.30 (1hr)
Until 25th (not 19th)