Impotent review, The Lion and Unicorn

This is a show whose success stands or falls on the work of a new cast managing a tiny space above a pub in Kentish Town.  The good news is that Impotent is bouncily erect. While there are no surprises in the content, there is unexpected texture. It's engaging, it feels real, there are moments of great pathos, and the number of genuine belly laughs respectably outnumber the predictable schoolboy double entendres. It's an intelligent night out.

Boner Law

Matt Reed's script is very simple. Zoe Lane is a doctor specialising in erectile dysfunction. In the first act, she oversees five individual patient sessions. In the second half, the five men come together for group therapy overseen by a yoga instructor. The simplicity of the storyline allows Reed, who is a stand up comedian in his other life, the breathing space to develop the characters. Each is distinct, from the heart-breakingly gentle factory hand whose wife has left him, to the gay Vicar who can give but not receive.

Juxtaposing their stories with the brazenly sexual relationship enjoyed by Dr Lane's assistant and her carpet laying boyfriend, a cast of nine - led by Helena Blackman as Zoe Lane - put on a whacking show under the direction of Graham Hubbard who cut his teeth as Associate Director on West End shows including Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Some of that OTT swagger shows here - two of the characters are too full-blown - but this will self-correct as the play beds in.

In conclusion: Reed is unsure how to end the piece, and the whole could be tighter. The limited stage restricts movement so events can feel a little static, but Impotent tackles a wobbly subject with sympathetic humour.

References
Lion and Unicorn, tickets