They’re the nameless, faceless individuals of society. Or so it seems in Action Theatre’s latest production, Real Men, Fake Orgasms, directed by Samantha Scott-Blackhall. Award-winning playwright, Chong Tze Chien, teaches us in this exposé of reality that you don’t need to place a name or face to identify the countless struggles homosexuals go through in this day and age.

Starring Life! Theatre Award recipient, Chua Enlai, and Australian newcomer, Claudio Girardi, Real Men, Fake Orgasms tells not just 1, but 5 stories in a 90-minute expedition of the truths associated with same-gender relationships and the rough deal of cards that fate never fails to cast on either parties.

2 men are trapped in a metaphorical prison – an emotional Siberia – fighting for their share of happiness. But at the end of the road, in a different time and with a different perspective of life, they find themselves battling to break free from their comfort zone, from each other, and what used to be the bright side of life. The prison break, unfortunately, poses huge obstacles. The time has not come for their taste of liberation and, as one of them puts it, “it’s not dark yet”.

In the world out there, however, their struggle continues. Denial, superficiality, fidelity, the unwillingness to settle down, and clashes with the straight road are just some of the elements factored in. The 2 find themselves in the same boat and in the same war be it indoors or out. And when they finally come to terms with reality, a resolution has to be made.

This is not a production aimed to bring about a sense of sympathy towards homosexuals, despite its extensive coverage of its characters’ weak points. Instead, with Chong’s renowned ability to nail the human condition through his writing, Real Men, Fake Orgasms is an honest, powerful piece that accurately captures the realities of life for those who travel the curved road.

The characters in this play are nameless, and we don’t know, for sure, if the lead actors are playing the same 2 roles that progressively change in time with each scene and story, or if they’re just plain different pairs of people. It doesn’t matter. The fact is, any homosexual could – if not would – be able to find certain parts of his life resonating through the characters portrayed in the 5 stories, because of how truthful the piece is. One would come to realise that names tend to build a barrier in drawing such a relation with the story.

A serious theme, overall? Indeed. But Chong’s creativity shines through and his healthy dose of sex-related, witty puns like “you only have to run fast and straight… you can do straight, right?” and “I’d love to see your family’s jewels” make for a lighter approach to covering the heavy subject matter.

There’s plenty of imaginative fun in this piece that uses no props in the first 30 minutes but 2 chalk-pens and a black, semi-hexagon-shaped backdrop with nothing on it but extravagant space for drawing. And that’s what Enlai and Claudio’s characters do for the first third of the play. They draw, whilst telling significant stories about their lives. From a night safari to a birthday cake and from family’s jewels to family jewels, these drawings design a silent – yet straightforward – method for character building.

The downside is it’s highly possible for one to be confused by a number of scene objectives, like that of storytelling, and dialogues and punch lines that require a certain level of analytical and inferential skills to understand. It’s not that these dialogues are all that difficult to get, but when they’re coming at you one after another, they can collectively sink you in a large pool of confusion.

Nevertheless, there’s much to be astonished in this play. For one, the actors in their multiple roles are just absolutely brilliant. Enlai and Claudio don’t just scream at your faces with performances saturated with honesty, accuracy and realism, they embody their characters, internalise their struggles, and feel their joys and pains; and you, on the other side of the stage, can feel it within them. Whether they’re impersonating a transgender and a homosexual who goes for all-male males, or a straight guy with a friend who secretly has feelings for him, their deep understanding of human reactions and emotions live true in their performances.

There’s one scene where Enlai plays an individual who’s critically ill and Claudio is his supportive partner who nurses him. Fans of the 2002 film, The Hours, will find a powerful, striking resemblance between the performance in this scene and that of legendary Meryl Streep and Ed Harris, as Streep’s character nurses the AIDS-stricken Harris. Both pairs give simple – but very realistic and thus, emotional – performances that could potentially trigger tears, and their artistic support for each other comes through very strongly.

This type of impact is attributed also to Chong’s natural flair as a writer and his deep understanding of the human condition. It’s through the scenes that he places his characters in and the dialogues that he brings them through – their desire for death, the numerous analogies that they use to express their feelings, and the recollection of simple past events – that you come to realise Chong is an outstanding psychologist with great knowledge about people.

Artistically, Real Men, Fake Orgasms is a beautifully crafted production. It’s a play that has the potential to make a positive social impact to the issue of homosexuality in any society, as we are given the opportunity to explore and appreciate members of its community.

Not many plays are able to give us something deep to think about as well as move us sufficiently to want to be part of a force that makes a major societal impact. But Real Men, Fake Orgasms embodies all of these aspects and is, undoubtedly, a rather stunning piece.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars