★★★
Jonny Brace’s new play is a gift for actor Tiffany Marina Pearmund. The character of Ace is so fully formed, she’s real. Navigating a night-club as if it were an alien landscape, Ace waits for her fellow high-school student, Sasha, someone she’s crushing hard for.
Ace is a neurodivergent touchstone, I felt that Brace and Pearmund carefully put together a character that is never cliché yet truthfully calls out the world for its illogical, noisy and downright confusing ways!
There’s lots of lovely details, especially all the Doctor Who references “twatting a dalek with a baseball bat”, and the narrative flowed with ease. At times the story felt very dense, as there was so much ground covered, that it could’ve benefitted with some breathing space, and some light and shade. The focus of the setting of the nightclub almost felt restrictive at times. Yet, this isn’t to say it’s a well written monologue that’s performed brilliantly.
The Asexuality representation is so important, and Ray Productions are to be commended for arriving at an explanation for the audience, that didn’t feel forced, but served to show the nuances of people’s sexuality. With so few asexual representations, Ace is a much needed figure for the canon.
That’s Ace is on at Just The Fancy Room at Just The Tonic at The Caves until August 30th
