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# BRIGHTON FRINGE REVIEW: Darkroom Diaries @The Marlborough
- URL: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/brighton-fringe-review-darkroom-diaries-the-marlborough/
- Published: 2017-05-16T09:27:02.000Z
- Updated: 2017-05-16T09:28:36.000Z
- Description: Standing in nothing but tighty-whities and a leather harness, Dutch comedian Johan Goossens is a charismatic storyteller who knows how to beak the ice before sharing (over-sharing?) quirky, awkward and sometimes sticky anecdotes about his colourful sex life.
- Author: Spencer Charles Smith
- Tags: Arts, Comedy, In The South, News, Reviews, Theatre, Brighton Fringe, The Marlborough

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/web-600-67.jpg)

Sexy comedy (but at whose expense?).

**Standing in nothing** but tighty-whities and a leather harness, Dutch comedian **Johan Goossens** is a charismatic storyteller who knows how to beak the ice before sharing (over-sharing?) quirky, awkward and sometimes sticky anecdotes about his colourful sex life.

**DARKROOM DIARIES** is 60 minutes of frank and funny sexual confessions, broken up by short kitschy songs reminiscent of classic Victoria Wood.

A school teacher by day, Goossens turns the performance into a learning opportunity, educating the heterosexual members of the audience on gay vocabulary like *‘top/bottom’* and gay routines like popping poppers and douching. He also had us raise our hands at certain questions, humorously noting that no one ever admits to being a bottom.

Strangely, for a show titled *‘Darkroom Diaries,’* there was very little time devoted to Goossens’ darkroom experiences. In fact, I can only recall one moment in the hour-long performance that directly addressed a darkroom; instead, Goossens discussed sex more generally. I wasn’t bothered by this, but such a misleading title could’ve left some audience members unsatisfied.

Although I enjoyed listening to Goossens (I could’ve listened to his dulcet tones all night long) I found some of his comedy problematic (if not reductive).

At one point he described vaginas as *‘disgusting’* and at another point he took a cheap shot at lesbians. As the show went on it became quite clear to me that his target audience was well-endowed, uninhibited gay men, and I wondered if the female members of the audience felt at all alienated.

As someone who presents himself as progressive, open-minded and sex-positive – and in a venue that endeavours to create a genuinely inclusive queer space in Brighton – I was surprised to hear Goossens drop the odd misogynist comment in a seemingly well-meaning piece about taking pride in your body and sexual (mis)adventures.

**DARKROOM DIARIES** by Johan Goossens

**Venue:** Marlborough Pub Theatre

**Dates:** 12-14 May

**Reviewed by:** Spencer Charles Smith