Concrete Playground

Neil Watkins' latest performance is a contemporary Irish story that resonates with audiences globally through an exploration of the universal themes of loneliness and hope. Oh, and it's about wanking. But this story doesn't just rely on our natural curiosity towards graphic material, as clearly it's not that difficult to hold an audience's attention for 60 minutes when you're talking about whacking off to internet porn. What makes The Year of Magical Wanking unique is its promise to be as hauntingly sad as it is hilariously charming.

The leading performance artist — and former Alternative Miss Ireland — plays Maverick, a 33-year-old homosexual with a Jesus complex. A self-confessed wanker from the beginning, his monologue addresses his self-destructive struggle with foul sexual fantasies after a life of being subjected to intolerant parents, HIV and abusive sexual relationships. Performing barefoot with no mask save for a warrior-like streak of makeup beneath each eye, he's literally laid bare before the audience as he takes them on his journey towards self-acceptance.

Director Phillip McMahon has a long association with The Abbey Theatre, who brought us Terminus last year, and was named a person to watch in 2012 by the Irish Times. The play itself was nominated for Best New Play and Best Performer at Dublin Fringe 2011.

Presented by both Mardi Gras and daring queer Irish theatre company THISISPOPBABY, The Year of Magical Wanking will give audiences something more enduring than just a good laugh. Though there will, no doubt, be plenty of those, too.