Prudence Play review

Prudence Play is a one-woman show written and performed by Caroline Dunn. It follows Prudence, a nun grappling with her sexuality. She is adamant she is not gay though.

The play begins as Dunn enters the theatre through the back of the room (audience entrance) with a chaotic timidity, as if almost late to her own show, apologising and readjusting her flapper dress skittishly. Brittney Spears plays and Dunn takes the stage and tap dances for us. Iconic.

It is this moment that totally sets the scene for Prudence Play. Within barely a minute Prudence is established as a messy and down to earth individual; brilliance. Some of the lines early on are rather lyrical and are delivered with an slam-poetry like cadence, which is hyper-engaging. The show is funny, with a distinctly American style of humour. Prudence Play almost seems to transport a high-school dramedy mood to the nunnery, with this awkward coming-of-age lilt to everything. This seems to parallel the queer experience, where queer people often go through significant life events later in life compared to their straight counterparts.

What I would like to see more of authentic Christian identity to Prudence. It is made quite clear that Prudence joins the sisterhood almost for the hell of it, it being her back-up-back-up-back-up plan. The show becomes less about the struggle between genuinely held religious beliefs and a sapphic lifestyle, and much more a fight against her environment and the people surrounding her. Not an internal struggle but a social one. I wonder if it ends up not feeling quite distinct enough from other works that demonstrate queer coming-of-age struggle. A more existential story such as this, however, would take Prudence Play to a much darker place, which I feel it is deliberately trying to avoid. It is also worth recognising that the reference for Prudence Play is Caroline Dunn's own Catholic upbringing, so perhaps I am imposing ideas that are incompatible with her own experience.

Prudence Play feels like the kind of project ripe for adaptation, as you get the sense there is so much more to say on topics such as this - it is an inspiring work. I am looking forward to seeing how Dunn develops as an artist, how she explores similar themes with future projects. I would love to know more about Dunn's personal relationship with queerness and faith.

Prudence Play is a tender exploration of blossoming queer identity. The play feels fundamentally optimistic, and is a warm embrace of queer culture, art, and people at large. ★★★★☆

Thank you to Caroline Dunn for inviting me. Tickets were provided free of charge and I was given full control over the content of the review.

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