MedFringe 2026
Gag Writer by Melissa Todd, Hags Ahoy Theatre Company
Melissa Todd, Hags Ahoy Theatre Company
Genre: Comedy, Storytelling
Venue: Queen Charlotte, Rochester
Festival: MedFringe
Low Down
A surprisingly gentle introduction to the world of professional ‘slap and tickle’.
Review
The charming Melissa Todd presents a thoroughly sensible figure in a modest tea dress, thrown into sharp relief with her shy announcement that she has just won a porn award! The intrigue here is not in the mode of delivery, but rather in the unspoken titilation of what is being discussed.
For those unacquainted with the world of BDSM, this show seduces by the use of disarming clarity, in the setting out of the ‘rules of play’, followed by a firm adherence to following them through. There is a little light audience interaction, involving role play from one willing participant. While it was difficult to assess if the brave volunteer was a plant, he was certainly ‘game for a laugh’ and not in the least embarrassed about participating. This may tell us something about the ‘sex positive’ nature of the audience for this show.
Titled ‘Gag Writer’, those unfamiliar with Todd’s oeuvre might assume a series of quick-fire one-liners would form the meat of it. However, Todd’s metier is an altogether more prosaic set. We learn a good deal about the business operation as well as some of the physical logistics of the world of BDSM. Even the endings of the stories are not always funny. Sometimes wistful, sometimes just informative, we laugh as sex is a funny subject, and our hostess is warm and friendly in the telling of her adventures.
A good spanking session – it turns out – is not necessarily the precursor to sexual fulfilment. Without knowing the background of her audience in total, Todd errs on the side of caution in presenting the ‘wholesomeness’ of her chosen career, which perhaps leaves us slightly underwhelmed, if slightly better informed. It will be interesting to watch if over the course of her Edinburgh run, she discovers a theatrical way in which to actively assess if her audience are up for a ‘stricter’ punishment?
Perhaps most interesting is the tale of Todd’s own journey into sex work – a gentle enough amble exposing the importance of self-love – finding one’s purpose, however unconventional, is truly the path to health, wealth and happiness.
Ultimately, we spend a pleasantly undemanding hour in the company of an experienced writer, telling us some QI anecdotes and experimenting with the longer story form in front of a live audience.
