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# BRIGHTON FRINGE REVIEW: Sex addiction: The lecture @One Church
- URL: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/brighton-fringe-review-sex-addiction-the-lecture-one-church/
- Published: 2017-05-13T17:43:01.000Z
- Updated: 2017-05-14T08:45:40.000Z
- Description: I hadn’t intended on writing a review for The Queer Historian’s latest Fringe show Sex Addiction: The Lecture because I already submitted a preview piece in April’s issue of Gscene. And Tommy (The Queer Historian) has become one of my closest friends in Brighton since moving here in January, so I ac
- Author: Spencer Charles Smith
- Tags: Arts, In The South, News, Reviews, Theatre, Brighton Fringe

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/01-16-2017-174218-9566.jpg)

Shame, Pain and Heart

**I hadn’t intended on writing** a review for The Queer Historian’s latest Fringe show *Sex Addiction: The Lecture* because I already submitted a preview piece in April’s issue of Gscene. And **Tommy** (The Queer Historian) has become one of my closest friends in Brighton since moving here in January, so I acknowledge the possible conflict of interest. However, I woke up this morning still reeling from last night’s performance and I feel it is my duty as a critic and theatre-lover to write something. So fuck it, here goes…

*Sex Addiction: The Lecture* is a ruthless and raw confession of regret, shame, pleasure and pain. In a postmodern mishmash of audio interviews, talk show video clips, campy pop music, flashcards and scattered sequins, Tommy literally paints the stage (and himself) with the red-stained suffering that comes from being a sex addict. There was a point when Tommy was shaking so much – with rage or nerve or both – that I had to look away.

The show tackles the stigma that surrounds sex addiction and the surprising rejection that comes from so many people who refuse to classify it as a real addiction. More broadly, the show questions what makes an addict, with Tommy capturing the itch and scratch of addiction through vigorous choreography by **Rebecca Evans.**

Like many Fringe productions, elements of the show were short-changed by limited tech. If and when this show is mounted again, I want to see lighting that reflects the isolation often felt by addicts. I also think video could be utilised more (and on a larger screen), incorporating the audio clips already sprinkled throughout the piece. And lastly, the show needs a sturdier set design, but that would likely come with a more permanent theatre run.

By the end, the stage looked how I felt… a mess. And then Tommy offered the audience a chocolate bar and we all shared a much-needed cathartic release. But what hit me the hardest was what followed immediately after the performance: Tommy stood at the microphone, tears streaming down his face, and offered a heartfelt thank-you to his partner Ed (sat in the audience) for his unconditional love and support throughout the creative process of this show.

Without a doubt, The Queer Historian is an artist bursting with heart and the fact that he’s brave enough to share a piece of his heart with the rest of us is something I can’t help but respect.

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**Sex Addiction: The Lecture** by The Queer Historian

**Venue:** One Church, One Church Brighton, Gloucester Place, Brighton, BN1 4AA

**Dates:** May 11-13