Wolfboy

Musical Theatre @ George Square    7 - 31 August @ 17.00    Smorgasbord

Seventeen-year-old Bernie lies in a bed in a high-security boys’ home. He has slashed his wrists. The nurse may know why but she’s saying nothing.

In the next room is another lad, David. He thinks he’s a wolf. He only has to sniff your tummy to know your age, what you had for breakfast and whether or not you’re a virgin.

And sniffing’s pretty much ALL he’s doing just now, because the nurses have jammed his mouth open with a ball-gag to stop him biting people, and have tied him to the bed. Lupine AND supine: it seems he may have lucked out; especially when bondage-loving Bernie straddles his defenceless body and sings ‘I could do anything to you’.

But the balance of power soon shifts. David sniffs out that Bernie is a virgin, and as they confront their demons we learn that they have both been victims of appalling child abuse.

Touching on sado-masochism, on cycles of abuse, on normality and madness, Wolfboy has music and lyrics (including the deathless ‘I’ve got hair on my thing’) by Leon Perris. The use of breath-sounds in the backing track and Bernie’s floaty, pulseless song mentioned above are musical high points. The dialogue is sometimes awkward, but the singing is excellent throughout.