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PRESS: MESSY to debut at Theatre Arts
- Theatre Scene Cape Town
- Apr 25
- 2 min read
Spark in the Dark
Spark in the Dark is proud to present MESSY, a brand-spanking-new, semi-autobiographical solo show written and performed by Samantha Carlisle and directed by Dara Beth.
MESSY is a cumming-of-age play for the horny & unsatisfied. Sam, an online sex worker, explores her chaotic relationship with sex, love, and intimacy. It is a deeply personal story in which she figures out where she has gone wrong, whether or not romantic love is on the cards for her, and why the (expletive) it’s so hard to have an orgasm during sex. MESSY is a bawdy one-woman show following Carlisle’s journey from the mediocre sex she used to have to the slightly less mediocre sex she is currently having.
Offering insight into Carlisle’s own experiences as an online sex worker, while still acknowledging the very privileged position from which she operates, this piece investigates the various ways in which modern dating culture, internalised misogyny, and sex work can impact our relationships and views on sex. From the misogynistic ramblings of the ill-equipped sex-ed teacher at her Methodist school (who was actually just an Afrikaans teacher with a free period and a basic understanding of how babies are made) to the toxic men she collected like Pokémon along the way, MESSY is an ode to all the disappointing one-night stands, the short-lived shags, the tender moments we share with people who end up disappointing us, and all the divas who found themselves saying, “I should just quit my job and sell feet pics instead”.
You don’t want to miss out on the debut of this explosive new show. It is a show for all of the women and femmes who are having to refigure out the modern landscape of desirability, dating, feminism, and their attraction to men as all of these things come to a head.
MESSY will debut at Theatre Arts on the corner of Milton Road and Wesley St, Observatory. The show will have two performances on the 6th and 7th May 2025 starting at 19:00. Please note the production carries an age restriction of 18+, partial nudity, language, sexually explicit content, mentions of violence and GBV. Tickets can be booked online at https://theatrearts.co.za/show/messy .