Cardiff Fringe Theatre Festival
Chapter Arts, Cardiff, Thurs 20 + Fri 21 July
★★★☆☆
Nerdfucker is an unsettling play. Even its title is provocative and I struggled to collect my ticket from the box office as I was uncomfortable saying the name. The sense of discomfort carries through the whole of the performance, even when you are laughing—and you will laugh—though the kind of laughter will change throughout, as the character, played by Cameryn Moore, opens up and exposes her insecurities and mulls on the exploitative nature of her job.
That job is human chessboard, for she works in the adult entertainment industry, for a company that creates experiences for all manner of fetishes. The audience of the play becomes the chess match audience, who have shown up slightly early, and must watch Moore nervously set up the match to come.
In her persona, Moore tries to engage with the audience, starting light-hearted, talking passionately about chess and the players. We learn that she is a chess nerd, and is attracted to the enthusiasm of the nerd community. Her love of chess and her obsession with the players has led to her being exploited in this way, reduced to a human table. And while she comes across as perky, there is an underlying sadness and frustration that permeates her monologue.
As much as I wanted to love Nerdfucker, however, I could not fully engage with the performance. Moore is best when in dialogue with the audience – she is funny, endearing and relatable. It is the moments when tension is high and the character is reduced to screaming that I was reminded I was watching a play. I was not convinced; her acting just a little too melodramatic. But that is just one reviewer’s opinion. Moore is taking the show up to Edinburgh for the Fringe, so if you are in the area, you could always form your own opinion.
Cameryn Moore’s tour dates for all her shows can be found at her website: www.camerynmoore.com
For other shows at Chapter Arts, see their website here: https://www.chapter.org
words CHRIS HAYES