Marriage is a balancing act.
While it’s okay to take comfort in the familiarity that inevitably results from many years together with someone, it’s also vitally important not to become complacent.
Yet that’s exactly what has happened to Alice and Henry Lane, the 50-something main characters in Theatre Orangeville’s Sexy Laundry.
After close to three decades of marriage and a trio of children, Alice (played by Debbie Collins) and Henry (Terry Barna) have seen and survived it all.
Alice is hoping a romantic weekend getaway at a posh hotel will not only rejuvenate their sex life, but also help rekindle their deeper emotional connection.
Alice and Henry’s experimentation with the book Sex for Dummies produces some good laughs, but it’s clear from the outset the couple’s most pressing problems lurk beyond the confines of the bedroom.
Barna and Collins are extraordinary in their respective roles, displaying great chemistry as on-stage husband and wife. Many in the audience will surely empathize not just with the couple’s jokes, but also the disagreements about their marriage.
Audiences should be forewarned the show is not a rip-roaring production from start to finish. There is very serious subject matter covered here. And the first half moves slowly, though things really pick up in the second act, highlighted by a hilarious musical interlude and racy costume change.
It should also be known, as the name might suggest, Sexy Laundry features adult language and situations, including what has to be a live theatre record for the most “F-bombs” uttered in a single scene, if not an entire production (this reviewer thought it was hilarious, but others almost certainly will disagree).
The script from playwright Michele Riml is very funny, though some of its pop culture references could use some updating.
Riml’s exploration of the Mars-Venus dynamic between men and women (and by extension husbands and wives) is spot on, particularly their polarized views on sex, relationships and family dynamics.
Yet the disclosure of their innermost fantasies suggests perhaps Alice and Henry aren’t that different after all.
One puzzling aspect of the production is its somewhat cavalier treatment of the topic of divorce. The D-word is introduced as the first act ends, and while a serious argument understandably ensues, the resolution seems hasty, suggesting Alice and Henry may have a very rough road ahead when they return to reality.
Nonetheless, Sexy Laundry is an entertaining and funny production. Age, gender and marital status matter not; there’s something for all audience members to like here.
Sexy Laundry plays five shows a week until May 14. For tickets call 1-800-424-1295 or visit theatreorangeville.ca.
