EDINBURGH 2016 - Review: F*CKING MEN, Assembly George Square Studios, 11 August

Straight from selling out in London comes a King's Head Theatre play by Joe DiPietro. F*cking Men is a modern interpretation of Schnitzler's 19th-century La Ronde, which caused great controversy at the time, now retold through the lives of men who have sex with other men.

Gay, Straight, Married, and Escorts, all interlinking characters have one connecting trait, they all agree: "Why does any dude have sex with strangers? Because it feels fanf-ingtastic", as one character puts it. Three actors play the multi-character script, switching between roles like a well-oiled machine. Each is skilled and versatile, even though some very unnecessary, badly chosen accents can distract.

Though it is important and exciting to see male LGBT stories and varied characters on stage, the continuing changing of roles makes it difficult to connect to any of them - especially when many seem devoid of redeeming features. One stereotype after another takes the spotlight, with promiscuity reigning supreme.

Yes, casual sex is a huge part of the gay, bisexual and curious community. Apps like Grindr are household names in modern culture. Yet having a play which sole focus is highlighting this topic feels regressive. Once you've seen your third pre-sex scene freeze frame, it's hard to sustain interest.

As the poster of two topless men in their pants - plus the show title - suggests, there is brief full-frontal male nudity. Though happening in an understandable place for the piece, mixed with the cast being in tight underwear for the majority of the performance, the naughtiness and eye candy do distract from the lack of substance. Once HIV is mentioned the bingo of clichéd gay theatre is ticked off.

F*cking Men brings nothing new to the discussion. Controversial in its original form, it's now almost impotent in its ability to shock - relying on stereotypes and titillation to sell what is a rather boring but well-acted group of stories.

F*cking Men runs at Assembly George Square Studios until 29th August

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