Review: SAP, Soho Theatre

"How many men?" asks Daphne's girlfriend. An accusation more than a query, one many bisexual women have heard when they're entering a same-sex relationship. Rafaella Marcus pinpoints the eternal bisexual struggle in Sap, which has come to London after a starry sell-out run at Edinburgh Fringe last year. She explores prejudice and stereotype, fetishisation and biphobia through a precise commentary wrapped into a viscerally poetic tale. When Daphne lies by omission, she accidentally and nonconsensually enters a dark, twisted game.

Jessica Clark and Rebecca Banatvala reprise their performances with brand new vigour. Directed by Jessica Lazar, Marcus's debut play defies genres: part romantic drama, part psychological thriller, part queer cautionary tale, it's thoroughly gripping. Clark is utterly magnetic in her internal conflict as she is engaging in the lighter, more sardonic exploration of the push and pull of Daphne's sexual orientation. She controls Lazar's traverse, guided by a script that flows with introspective eloquence, perfectly in tune with the comic side even during the darkest points of the show.

She is matched and supported by Banatvala's array of roles: Daphne's girlfriend (simply referred to as "Her" in the text), a work colleague, and the girlfriend's brother. A rigorous physical direction by Jennifer Fletcher allows her to jump from one to the next with ease, moving Marcus's investigation along to ask what we can overlook in the name of love. The girlfriend's backhanded biphobia becomes her brother's sadistic abuse while Clark's delivery intensifies, clutched by rage and desperation. David Doyle's lights come in to create a vibrant atmosphere that intrudes over the actors with violent spotlights or washes over them softly, manipulating the visuals with colour.

It's refreshing to see that the piece isn't a general representation of bisexuality but a complex, human story. Queer theatre rarely tackles the topic, often forgetting the B in LGBTQ+ and overlooking its community. In just over an hour, Marcus validates and tries to explain bisexual identity with an engrossing plot imbued with lyrical beauty and gorgeous millennial flair. Her protagonist is a relatable, lifelike character whose insecurities come out in the same breath as she reveals the anxiety that appears when she sleeps with women.

Lazar has her kiss the soon-to-be girlfriend tenderly after having previously engaged in an intense balancing act with the man. It's a striking summary of Daphne's precarious equation. From the poetic elements of the writing and its visual allegories down to the staging and performances, Sap is a gem.

Sap runs at Soho Theatre until 22 April and then resume its tour.

Photo credit: David Monteith-Hodge

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