Eve Miller
Content Warnings: Discussion of threats to reproductive rights, enforced abortion, mental illness.
Do Astronauts Masturbate In Space? asks its audience the real questions. No, not the one in the title. It asks how far would ordinary, politically conscious citizens go to protect the individual freedoms that we take for granted under a totalitarian government, and could your relationship survive state surveillance and indoctrination?
In a dystopian Britain, a few years from now, any pregnancies must be authorised by the government, and failure to qualify for a ‘Stork Card’ results in enforced abortion. When Lily discovers that she is pregnant, her and long-term boyfriend Gareth must undergo a gruelling week-long parenting intensive before being allowed to keep their baby, sparking tension between them as Gareth’s childhood institutionalisation for depression jeopardises their chances to become parents. During the residential course, they must undergo psychological testing, sing the national anthem, and practice key parenting skills (hunting and gathering for Gareth, and baking for Lily), testing their relationship, their self-esteem, and ultimately their moral limits.
This tragicomedy is a heavy hitter, tackling state surveillance, reproductive freedom, and totalitarianism with a light touch that would see this piece neatly nestled alongside the best of Black Mirror. The script is whip-smart, flitting between humour and pathos and giving the core relationship plenty of room to breathe, even while racing towards the play’s climax with ferocity and heart-thumping intensity. Co-written by Briony Martha and Zak Reay-Barry, the script is quite simply excellent.
The central characters are both fully realised and have electric chemistry, each played to perfection by the writers. Reay-Barry is charming and funny as troubled Gareth, reaching impressive, heartbreaking depths of emotion at the play’s climax. Martha is brilliant as uptight Lily, with incredible emotional control as the script jumps from humor to heartbreak, each moment played with mesmerising intensity and realism. The energy required of them both by the script and sections of physical theatre is staggering, and they are each fully committed to their characters and telling the story, as well as to supporting one another’s performance. Megan Brewer’s direction is sharp and insightful, polishing the piece to a dazzling shine.
An intricately written, impeccably acted, and perfectly pitched piece of Fringe theatre, Do Astronauts Masturbate in Space? is one of the finest pieces of theatre I’ve seen all summer, and will not soon be forgotten.
Recommended Drink: Homemade peach iced tea – refreshing, layered, and more complex than you expect.
Performances of Do Astronauts Masturbate in Space have now concluded at Dundee Fringe 2025.
Jake Mace
Lamesha Ruddock
Jasmine Silk
