Sex Cells
by Anna Longaretti

Name: Sex Cells
Brand: Anna Longaretti
SKU: 9780573113956
Rating: 3.33 (12 reviews)

Highlights

Small Cast

Female

Male

120 mins Present Day Interior Set Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes British Comedy

Synopsis

In a busy call centre, the four female employees of Aphrodite, a sex toy manufacturer, take telephone orders for Teasey Maids, Titivators and rotating pearl g-strings.

Beneath the cheerful customer service and easy banter, however, these very different women nurse their own desires and disappointments.

Sylvie is desperate to have a baby, but her single-minded approach is taking its toll on her marriage and causing friction with the her co-workers.

With five children, Janice rarely finds time for herself or her husband.

Tiffany is young and single, looking for 'the one', but wary of sacrificing her independence.

Star employee Lily, meanwhile, is stuck in a loveless marriage and estranged from her son, but buries her pain in wisecracks and work.

Their gentle and innocent manager Mr Causeway attempts to diffuse the tension between his staff while suppressing a longstanding crush on the oblivious Lily.

Sex Cells is a very funny, poignant play about motherhood, friendship, love and loss.

It premiered at the Riverside Studios, Hammersmith in October 2013.

Press Reviews

"Tender and intelligent comedy... writer Anna Longaretti manages this risk skillfully, taking advantage of the sexy environment to win several laughs (dildos come in small, medium or liar) without ever neglecting the important emotional threads that lend the play its charm and momentum... The writing has a maturity and discipline that bodes well for Longaretti as an emerging playwright. She articulates heavy emotions exceedingly well, and playfully undercuts it all with some delicious wry humour. The result is two hours of easy-watching drama. A rare achievement indeed."
— WhatsOnStage

"There are lots of laughs, but also drama and tragedy in Longaretti's script... will surely please audiences."
— WhatsOnStage

"Snappy, spitfire dialogue... Despite the provocative title, Anna Longaretti’s play is a relatively low-key, intimate dramedy."
— Stage Whispers

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
LILY , 65. Her dress is shapeless and nondescript and her hair is pinned to keep the curl in. She wears pop socks and changes into slippers when she gets to work.	female	—	, 65. Her dress is shapeless and nondescript and her hair is pinned to keep the curl in. She wears pop socks and changes into slippers when she gets to work.
SYLVIE , 39. French (with an accent), slim build, smartly dressed and immaculately groomed.	—	—	, 39. French (with an accent), slim build, smartly dressed and immaculately groomed.
JANICE , 38. She has a Northern accent, is unintentionally dishevelled (as the main objective was to look glamorous) and looks like she is wearing clothes that she bought when she was younger and slimmer. Her massive handbag is always overflowing.	female	—	, 38. She has a Northern accent, is unintentionally dishevelled (as the main objective was to look glamorous) and looks like she is wearing clothes that she bought when she was younger and slimmer. Her massive handbag is always overflowing.
TIFFANY , 29, slim, Essex girl fashion and accent.	female	—	, 29, slim, Essex girl fashion and accent.
MR. CAUSEWAY , 55. A beanpole of a man. He is old-fashioned in his dress and manner. He wears a thick ribbed cardigan with pockets. He is hardly ever without a cup of tea on the go.	male	—	, 55. A beanpole of a man. He is old-fashioned in his dress and manner. He wears a thick ribbed cardigan with pockets. He is hardly ever without a cup of tea on the go.