Review: NOT F**KIN' SORRY, Soho Theatre

As the title suggests, the crip-cabaret crew Not Your Circus Dog collective are definitely, truly and utterly not f**king sorry. What's more, in this pacy sixty-minute show, this bunch of talented performers are not here to f**k you about. Anyone leaving this show not even slighty more aroused, enlightened or happier than when they arrived should be checked for signs of life.

Written and performed by the quartet of DJ (Housni Hassan), Stephanie Newman, Emma Selwyn and Adam Smith and produced by the Access All Areas theatre company, Not F**kin' Sorry is an unapologetic rollercoaster which first appeared at Soho Theatre in 2019 in the Upstairs space and now returns with a deserved promotion to the Main stage. Through an inspired blend of the silly, the sensuous and the serious, the quartet explore issues, explode myths and challenge preconceptions of what it is to be disabled and/or neurodivergent in today's world.

There is colourful clothing to go along with the show's colourful language: Smith has a dazzling neon-hued suit, Newman carries off a fetching tutu, DJ's cloud-patterned suit is fabulous and Selwyn looks magnificent in a Beetlejuice-style jacket and trousers. My temptation to give them Spice Girl-style monikers based on their initial looks is strong but resisted, especially as the outfits soon end up on the floor.

Each member of the troupe takes a turn, helped by the others, to entertain and educate about their lives and those like them. In true cabaret style, the quartet are not f**king sorry to break down the fourth wall and drag the audience into the action. The Countdown game involves some participation from the pews and becomes unintentionally amusing when DJ selects one of the few people in the UK not aware of how the word game is played (despite his patient instruction). Sexual fantasies are explored by Smith and the foursome, unsurprisingly, have a broad range of views on the subject. Selwyn and Newman delve into darker areas, examining how the neurodivergent and disabled are victims of hate crime, mate crime and government actions. Or should that be government inactions?

Throughout, there's teaching but no preaching: the facts that are laid out and the names of the dead that are read out speak for themselves. The UK was no bed of roses for the disabled before the pandemic but the arrival of Covid brutally highlighted the disparity in life chances. In the second wave, disabled men were roughly three times more likely to die than non-disabled men while, for women, the ratio was almost four times; in the third wave, disabled women fared even worse with the ratio jumping to 4.6.

This is not to say that Not F**kin' Sorry is depressing. Those seeing it with open hearts and open minds will likely walk away with new knowledge and insights. The cabaret format works superbly, making sure everyone in the room is engaged and not just watching. The delivery is, for the most part, upbeat and punchy and - like being in the midst of an orgy - is an incredibly life-affirming event. Should you go see this? F**k yes.

The Not Your Circus Dog collective will present a one-off special cabaret with additional guests as part of the Southbank Centre's Unlimited Festival on 10 September, followed by performances at Attenborough Arts Centre, Leicester (16 September) and Contact Theatre, Manchester (29 - 30 September).

Photo credit: Access All Areas

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