An online group of self-proclaimed incels have their values and friendship tested when they discover one of them has slept with a real-life woman. Short for 'involuntary celibate', incels are members of an online community of young men who consider themselves unable to attract women sexually (typically associated with a resentment towards women), and are the focal point of Jamie Sykes' The Last Incel, a daring piece of new writing which plunges headfirst into this unsettling world.
After discovering their fellow incel's (Fiachra Corkery) betrayal was the result of a one night stand with a journalist (Justine Stafford), and that the journalist in question is still in his bedroom, the group members (Goblins Goblins Goblins, Niall Johnson, Jackson Ryan) are forced to engage with the opposite sex as the journalist persuades them to let her write a piece about their experience of the world.
The show gives a darkly funny insight into the disturbing phenomenon of incels through unserious dance numbers, satirical characterisation and clever use of props. The cast pairs clown-esque physical comedy with serious and triggering topics in a jarring yet undeniably entertaining way.
While the subject matter of the piece feels topical and exciting, the script would benefit from further development of each characters' journey in order to fully execute the idea for a narrative form. The group members' dialogue often blends into one voice while the conflict between the journalist and group is either too easily resolved or not entirely believable.
The journalist's character in general feels two-dimensional, with her solution to the incels' sadness being to simply sleep with her friends, rather than to unpack why they don't see women as human beings. The show effectively demonstrates what incels are and how they behave but struggles to make a succinct point or ask a primal question through its story.
That said, the show offers plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and guarantees audiences a fun lesson on a dark and rapidly relevant topic.
The Last Incel runs at Underbelly, Bistro Square until 25th August - for more information and tickets, you can follow the link here.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3*)
Gifted tickets in return for an honest review
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