WHEN YOU’RE DRAWN to a person by their idiosyncrasies and their charm, rather than by what it is their underpants hold, according to society, you’re indecisive. Bisexuality comes under the loop with an angry and articulate response of ‘Dawn’ played by April Kelley, in the eleventh episode of the Ink Jockey podcast series The End of the Line, directed by Mark Heywood.
Premised on the sticky issue of going to the wedding of her sister, who has fallen for the first man she’s slept with, the piece balances society’s blatant hypocrisies with the need to conform, and Dawn balances the pros and cons of her plus one-to be, at said sister’s wedding.
With a mix of baby-whispering and how society curiously ponders the idea of scissoring, Dawn, a Libra, can play both games. The whole piece, however, is not only about childbearing and its complexity. It’s also a paean to the person who has no sexual preferences, but understands the value of love.
The piece is flippant and serious at the same time and the thread of balance permeates well throughout it. However, it features a little too much obscenity, which makes Dawn feel very young, crude and gratuitously rebellious.
Kelley is a convincing performer – as you listen, a picture is crafted in your mind’s eye of this fierce young person who dramatically elects to be between the poles and enjoy, and weather, what either – and both — sides have to offer, from bias to machine guns.
“Dawn” is the 11th episode in series 1 of the project. Series 2 is available online and reviews of the individual series will appear on this site from next week.
- Dawn is a story written by Tom Taplin. Directed by Mark Heywood, it features technical input by Hetty Hodgson. With music by Daisy Chute and Cerian of the Heard Collective, it is performed by April Kelley and it is the eleventh in a series of podcasts produced by Ink Jockey collectively called The End of the Line.