Presented at PIP Theatre, the provocatively-titled Banging Denmark is an anti-rom-com about toxic online communities, the blurry line between attraction and revulsion, and the timeless pursuit of human connection. Written by Australian social commentator Van Badham, the play made its world premiere at Sydney Theatre Company in 2019.
Jake is a pickup artist selling seduction techniques (and aggressive misogyny) to desperate men on the internet under the pseudonym Guy de Wit. Ishtar is broke and living in her university office while she tries to finish her thesis about women in video games, after an online run-in with de Wit’s followers that resulted in doxxing and a defamation court case. Cosied up next to the copier, Ish is offline and paranoid, relying on former star student Denyse and her devoted friend Toby to bring her food and news of the world.
Jake has never had an issue with his “game” before but finds himself iced out by a beautiful librarian named Anne. Having grown up in the progressive country of Denmark, Anne is unmoved by Jake’s braggadocio and backhanded compliments. So, he goes to Ish for help – $50,000 if she can teach him some feminist-friendly methods of seduction. She agrees, begrudgingly, although her assistance is largely delivered in scolding lectures that reveal her own hypocrisies and parallel flaws. Plus, the Danish librarian has desires of her own…
Directed by Heidi Gledhill, who was also the production’s intimacy director, Banging Denmark was performed on a raised platform in the centre of the space with the audience arranged on either side. The stage itself was similarly divided into two camps, with Ish’s office at one end and Jake’s apartment at the other, and the librarian in the middle.
Set design by Helena Trupp included large blocks that were moved to represent the changing scenery, and the varying levels were used to show shifts in power. Sound design by Tommi Civili and lighting design by Noah Milne also contributed significantly to each setting and to the mood of each scene.
The play’s movement and use of space was executed very well by the cast, including highly physical fight scenes and choreographed seductions, with fight direction by Jason McKell. Choreography by Neridah Waters included a fun dance break finale.
Banging Denmark satirises the pickup artist (PUA) subculture with some ludicrous examples, but enough realism to show how these ideas can appeal to lonely young men raised on pornography and narrow ideas of success and masculinity. While some of the play’s ideological points were laboured, the momentum kept a speedy and engaging pace. Some of Badham’s politics and personal opinions felt shoehorned into the script and at these points the dialogue was less natural, but the earnest and energetic delivery of the actors smoothed over these sections.
Tegan Braithwaite was equal parts exuberant and cynical as Ishtar, and she bounced off Janaki Gerard’s equally high-energy portrayal of Denyse. Rijen Laine was commendably insufferable as Jake, with flashes of sincerity and vulnerability that humanised his character and allowed for complexity. Amelia Slatter played the smouldering and sought-after Danish librarian Anne and Dudley Powell was endearing as Toby, although his character had little to do in Act 1 and functioned more as a vehicle for the play’s message than a fully realised character.
Ultimately, Banging Denmark is about the human need for connection and potential for change, neither of which can be meaningfully achieved through empty tricks or techniques. It is a comedic play about misogyny, modern love, and the many unpredictable variables of human attraction and affection, delivered with unwavering energy by a dedicated cast of actors.
Banging Denmark will be performed at PIP Theatre from 7 – 23 March 2024
For ticketing and further information, visit the PIP Theatre website
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