Review: Sunshine Spa, Òran Mór: Like an old-school Play for Today
Neil Cooper
Three stars
The heat is on when Iain meets Zainab after going in search of a place to cool down. Being downtown Marrakesh, however, things don't quite turn out as planned. Iain is a gay man from Manchester who turns up at Zainab's spa. Given the strict rules in Morocco regarding the rights of women, the two shouldn't even be in the same room, let alone be preparing a very special massage.
With Iain wheelchair bound and unable to bear to be touched, even that comes with complications. With protests on the streets outside, Zainab is as alive to the power of dissent as Iain is, and once both let their guard down they find a surprising amount of common ground.
Simon Jay's new play - the latest in this season's A Play, a Pie and a Pint series of lunchtime plays - is a warm and human take on everyday solidarity across cultures where differences might normally turn into something toxic.
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Jay's script may have a polemical heart, but the way his characters make a connection in the oddest of circumstances is a neat sleight of hand that endears you to their respective causes rather than leaving the theatre feeling harangued.
Presented in association with the Glasgow based Birds of Paradise company, Jay's play is the result of a callout to develop work with a disabled playwright. The result, directed by BOP's artistic director Robert Softley Gale, sees Stephen Smith Taylor make his professional debut as Iain opposite Fatima Jawara as Zainab. As they spar, the duo show off a text that feels rooted in old school plays for today with potential for a sit-com spin-off.
A word as well for designer Heather Grace Currie's convincingly realised spa set, which looks like an oasis of calm in a play that may be set several thousand miles away, but which feels familiarly close to home.
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Metro
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Scottish Sun
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‘Give it a REST' say fuming Love Island fans as they ‘report Iain Stirling to Ofcom'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) LOVE Island viewers were left fuming last night when narrator Iain Stirling made another joke about contestant Blu Chegini's mum and her sex shop. The comment came after the group were told they would be taking part in the iconic 'baby challenge'. 2 Iain was allegedly reported to Ofcom over his joke Credit: Rex Designed to make or break a pairing, each couple is given a doll that they must keep clean, feed and entertain. At the end of the trial, the team who have the best score wins. During the episode as the couples reacted to the news they were now parents, Iain cheekily quipped: "Blu's mum sex shop actually sells adult life-like dolls but you are practising a whole different skillset." People watching at home couldn't help but grumble at the joke with many pointing out it was a reoccurring theme for the comedian and that Blu had left the Island on day four of the show. On person wrote on social media: "Iain needs to give the blu's mums sex shop jokes a rest, we've actually heard it every episode at this point." Another user questioned: "Why is Ian still making sex shop jokes? Blu has left omg." "Omg can Iain Stirling actually stop with the sex shop jokes now," wrote a third person. Calling out the show, a fuming viewer penned: "@LoveIsland yet again @IainDoesJokes is making inappropriate sexual remarks about blus mom who owns a sex shop why are @ITV allowing these vile words to be aired there are kids watching?" And one angry watcher wrote: "@IainDoesJokes you won't be laughing for long mate I've just reported you to Ofcom your inappropriate comments about blu and his mother are vile . you are obsessed with him and his mother because she owns a sex shop…" Fans of the show were left far from happy to hear the news the baby challenge was back, with many taking to social media to express their disappointment in seeing it return. 'We wanted the tweet challenge back!! No one cares about some f*** ass baby dolls,' said one user. A third agrees: 'There is nothing I hate more than the baby challenge, actively skip it everytime.' The ITV2 show made the decision to axe the baby challenge after nine seasons back in 2023 to allow space to welcome new tasks and challenges to the show. A sports day event was instead switched in place that year, and saw the Islanders competed in various athletic and silly games. A second shared: 'I actually hate the baby doll challenge. Lol this is when I stop watching'.
