When was the last time someone read you a book? Not an audiobook, not a podcast, but someone actually sat beside you and read the words out loud? For most adults, probably a very long time ago, but there is something wonderfully indulgent about being read to, particularly when you are lying on a bed and someone else is doing all the work.
Dashiel Reads To You turns this simple idea into a 30-minute escape from the outside world. The small gallery at Smith & Gertrude has been transformed into a cosy reading space, complete with a bed, bookshelf and chair belonging to Dashiel’s grandmother. Visitors can choose a book from the bookshelf, which has a mix of fiction and non-fiction, including Wicked and a dictionary, or bring their own. I brought along Memorial by Bryan Washington, a book I started several months ago before forgetting about it and had it sitting on my bedside table since. I handed it to Dashiel, who read me the first two chapters.
That tension is where SLUGS gets much of its comedy. The pair are constantly aware that almost anything can be interpreted as a statement, especially when it comes to their bodies. A seemingly harmless song acquires a political reading, while an unexpected reference to guns or gender sends the show careening in another direction. Their response is to not address the issue at all, but instead throw something else at us. This gives the production an exciting and unpredictable rhythm. Just when you think you have worked out where a scene is heading, it can veer into puppetry, animation, music or some outrageous physical gag.
From the moment the audience settles in, it is clear this is not going to be your traditional service. The trio embrace the theatricality of worship, moving between song, dance, burlesque and comedy while playing with the rituals and language associated with the church. There is a knowing irreverence to it all, but the production is not simply about making fun of faith. Instead, it takes these traditions and gives them a very queer, very cabaret interpretation.
The show is divided into several chapters, including Communion, Temptation and Baptism. Each comes with a passage from the Book of Hysterium, offering the audience a subtle tease of what is about to come. That unpredictability is part of the appeal of Mass Hysteria. You never quite know what is coming next.
