WORDS Katherine Murphy

Ticket prices are not usually considered to be part of the artistic process. But in WAGE you make your own decision: €14 if you identify as male and €12 if you identify as female. Higher or lower; a simple game that seeks to emasculate men and empower women in order to mirror the pay inequity in Ireland.

This inequality is literally manifested onstage as the naked bodies of Aine Stapleton and Emma Fitzgerald (of Fitzgerald and Stapleton) invite nervous laughter. They are certainly not ashamed, and their defiance is evident from their movements. Although hesitant and slow, it is calculated to make the audience feel uncomfortable, squeezing and wandering through in the process. In fact it’s what they thrive on.

But the male voice is never completely absent, shouting down from the technical box and asking the actresses about their preferences. However, when the nameless man begins the distorted projections the audience are aware of the male gaze that starts and ends the show, lighting their bodies very well in the process.

This is a show of three parts: the internal debate of ticket pricing, the laughter-inspiring movement, and a talk to finish. The talk is mediated by an ex-prostitiute, and is a fascinating insight into the seedy underbelly of Dublin’s Christchurch area and the brothels that exist there.

As fascinating as the talk is it seems disparate and disjointed compared with the first two. The jump from gender to prostitution may not seem too wide, but in terms of a one-hour show it becomes too much for Fitzgerald and Stapleton to handle. Although the final talk was by far the most emotionally affecting the trio referenced half-stories from rehearsals, unfinished anecdotes (perhaps the result of a preview) and the lighting suggested audience interaction when the speakers invited none.

The cracks between the three sections are always visible, but this does not diminish the beauty of the sections themselves. In essence, this is a true Fringe show, testing the audience from beginning to end. Higher or lower, male or female, empowered or disempowered. The choice is yours.

WAGE continues at The Cube, Project Arts Centre until Tuesday 10th September. Tickets from €12