GOOD Girl. Welcome to the world of GG, 33 years old. A confused child, supressed teenager and needy young adult. Ultimately, orgasmic GG, contented GG, emotionally contented GG.
GG looks back on her life and the struggles and thrills she experienced and endured as she discovered the big ‘O’ – orgasm – and more importantly herself.
A journey which takes her from enjoying occasional ‘Swayzes’ (tingles down below) to being shunned by girlfriends because she is too intense. Then to numbing sex, supressing and closing down emotions, and the eventual discovery (with a little help – two hours’ worth –from a black vibrating rabbit) of how thrilling an orgasm can be for a woman. Be yourself is the conclusion. Do not be bullied or influenced by others. Emotional lockdown can be overcome.
The story is Naomi Sheldon’s. She wrote it and she is GG – as well as a number of her friends’ voices and various associates. She is quite brilliant. A great mimic who gives all her friends (Laura, Sarah and Zoe) a distinct voice, complete with quirky mannerisms. She is also a top actress.
Apart from at the very end, she stands on a circular podium, six inches off the floor. It is her island, her fiefdom. Her pulpit.
On it, she acts out key moments in her life to date – investigating her vagina courtesy of a makeup mirror, being taken from behind by a boyfriend (a bit like having your hand squeezed, she says, but not tenderly) and an episode where she is a hostess at a masked meeting in a hotel and despite herself enjoying an almighty climax. There are times of indecision, self-doubt and crucially key moments of self-discovery.
It is an hour of Sheldon, interspersed with a bit of Abba, Madonna and Michael Jackson – just enough to get your feet tapping and your hips swinging. Her eyes bulge as she spouts forth. An eyebrow raised here. A drop of a shoulder there.
Her message? Let it out, do not hold it in. Express yourself. It is good for you.
Despite the posters for the show (‘stereotypical vagina talk’ and ‘ and ‘no straight man is interested in this’) this is no tirade against men. It is a woman’s voyage of emotional and sexual discovery. From becalmed waters to stormy but exhilarating seas. What she says is that it is good to show feelings. To have a rip roaring orgasm. To cry and laugh.
It is an argument that equally applies to men. Emotion, not full blown testosterone.
The fact that Sheldon is able to stand on her desert island for 60 minutes and captivate the audience is testimony to her acting and a fun script. It is also a feather in the cap of director Matt Peover. The set, designed by Alison Neighbour, is minimalist but effective.
The backdrop is a wall of dull chipboard.
Jane Horrocks? Victoria Wood? Miranda Hart? A bit of them all. Naomi Sheldon is an actress to look out for. Good girl, talented girl. Good writer and great actress.