The battle of the sexes is a perennial theme in narratives and especially comedies. In recent years, the backlash against feminism from some quarters has grown exponentially through social media platforms dissemimating vitriol. It is in this ‘world’ that Finbrough Theatre’s latest production takes place… Written by Van Badham and directed by Sally Woodcock, Banging Denmark deals with Ishtar (Rebecca Blackstone) a ‘disgraced’ academic, who after losing a court case with an anti-feminist podcaster (by the name of ‘Guy de Witt’), finds herself in debt, while trying to finish her PhD. ‘Living’ in a photocopier room to escape harassment, Ishtar’s only contact with the outside world is with fellow academic Denyse (Jodie Tyack) and Denyse’s ‘platonic’ friend Toby (James Jip).

In contrast, podcaster Jake (Tom Kay) aka ‘Guy’ is doing well, until a caller alerts him to the existence of Anne, a Danish librarian – who is out of the caller’s league. Investigating the matter for himself, Jake finds the librarian Anne (Maja Simonsen) is immune to his charms and can’t get her out of his head. But there is one person who would know how women ‘with barriers’ think: Ishtar…

In many ways, Jake is reminiscient of Tom Cruise’s Frank T.J. Mackey in Magnolia, espousing ‘wisdom’ to men who have trouble dating women, while at the same time, expressing a low opinion of the opposite sex. But seeing as Banging Denmark is a black comedy and satire, the turn of events in the play (while touching on news headlines) doesn’t have the ‘bite’ and or gravitas of an out-and-out drama.

Having said that, the subplot involving Toby being ‘friend-zoned’ by Denyse (because of his lack of ‘physical appeal’) challenges the notion that it is only ‘incels’ (who are generally assumed to lack social skills) who have no luck with dating, and also hinting that women are just as ‘guilty’ of dating purely on criteria of physical attraction, rather than a person’s good qualities.

As Ishtar, Blackstone conveys not only the frustration of a woman who been burnt for ‘sticking her head above the parapet’, but manages to coax the comedy out of her discomfort. Conversely, while Kay revels in the ‘bad’ behaviour of Jake, he too is able to coax the comedy out of the situation and show that beyond the bluster is someone who has been hurt in the past. And while Ishtar and Jake are the principal characters in the play, it is the personal arcs of Denyse and Toby that the audiences will identify with the most.

As Anne, Simonsen is suitably aloof and disinterested in the male attention she receives. She also shows her ‘comedic chops’ by essentially playing the ‘straight man’ to the more eccentric characters in the play. In terms of the play’s title (beyond its link to Anne’s nationality), there is the whole subtext of Denmark being the most equitable place in the world in terms of rights for women and at a societal level. Also, Scandinavia (through playwrights such as Ibsen and Strindberg) have a history of challenging ‘received wisdom’ regarding the true nature of relationships between men and women. If one can ‘break down’ the ‘conditioning’ that the Nordic ‘utopias’ hold, anyone is susceptible to compromising their ‘principles’. In this play, everyone has a lot of soul searching, between what they ‘believe’ and what they ‘want’.

© Michael Davis 2024

Banging Denmark runs at the Finborough Theatre until 11th May.