Just Blokes enticed me from the title alone. Plays about toxic masculinity and male connection are not in short supply these days, but a topic that is rather relevant and necessary currently, however unfortunate that be. I was expecting a tough watch, but what I got was a darkly funny, realistic and quite gritty observation on young men today.
Just Blokes is a dark comedy exploring modern male relationships, vulnerability, and the unspoken pressures behind humour and silence. Built on strong dialogue and uncomfortable honesty, it challenges what masculinity looks like today.
Ewan Whyte is the runt of the litter, always-the-butt-of-the-joke Donny. Whyte brings a likeable, softer edge to Donny. Even though he is the groups proverbial punching bag, he cares for them anyway. Whyte finds every chance to reiterate Donny’s unmoveable loyalty to his friends and delivers a strong performance here.
Jack Houlliston plays the soldier boy, keep everything in Daniel. Houlliston’s portrayal is intriguing, managing to be charming yet completely brutish in equal measure; testament to Houlliston’s understanding of the character and nuanced performance.
Jamie Cowan plays the slightly older, wiser mature Seb. Cowan plays Seb excellently, imbuing him with humour and wisdom while also hinting at something slightly darker and tragic within. Cowan has the most heavy hitting storyline to play out, doing so with ease while delivering laughs is an impressive feat.
Devon Nixon portrays Kylie. Nixon’s portrayal of Kylie is fantastic to watch. Being the only gay one in the male friend group, Kylie is desperate to just be one of the lads and does so by being rather nasty at times, but Nixon manages to find a vulnerability that is lovely to see. Some extra projection at times would help with no words being missed but for the most part Nixon shines as Kylie.
Lauren Mills is Imogen, Donny’s girlfriend. Mills inserts herself incredibly well into the masculine vortex the play is until her entrance, giving Imogen moments where she stands up for herself a justification and believability. Tori Kay plays Donny’s ex and Daniel’s current…situationship/casual sex partner. Both Kay and Mills bring different dynamics to the action and the scene with just the two of them is an impactful, quieter moment that manages to show the impact toxic masculinity has on everyone, leaving the audience stunned.
Tori Kay’s writing and direction alongside Zoe Keddie is magnificent, handling such topics with the correct delicateness and yet appropriate raw, don’t-look-away realism that is lacking nowadays in lots of writing. Some music in between certain scene changes would help lift some awkwardness and move momentum along. They have come up with a play about very deep and uncomfortable themes that disguises itself as a silly bro comedy at first, making an excellent observation on societal norms while bringing laughs and room for thought. The dynamics on display amongst male friendships is excellently crafted here. The audience feel for Donny but also want to scream at him to stop letting them treat him the way they do.
“Men understand now that we can talk to each other and, more importantly, that we must.”
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