The idea here is absolutely an interesting one. Billed as plays with "no gender. Endless possibilities," Papercut Theatre have commissioned a team of writers to produce short plays without specifying the genders for any of the characters. Those decisions are for the director alone.
16 plays rotate throughout the run, with a different four every afternoon: today's selection comprises ‘Blame’ by Peter Cant, ‘Spineless’ by Tobias Wright, ‘Chemotherapy’ by Stephen Sharkey and ‘Gorilla Banana’ by Lisa Carroll. Without exception, these are nicely written and engaging little playlets.
A short dialogue between the recipient of a face transplant and its former owner raises interesting questions about identity ("you must wear my mask and I will wear you"), and is lent a sinister edge by an on-the-ball young cast. A longer sketch featuring a revolting chap who may well qualify as the worst boss in the world is deliciously over the top without being indulgent.
But, in all of this, it's unclear what the capacity for gender-bending really adds. Roles are either cast along conventional lines (a male boss and female assistant), or are simply irrelevant. I worked hard to derive an engagement with gender on the basis of a female doctor treating a male patient. There's just nothing interesting there. A blokey charmer chasing down his "prey" is cast as a feller – to do otherwise would have been quite a stretch. Either that's the point, or this is a missed opportunity. It definitely feels more like the former.