The Mechanics of Intimacy

Conceived in a household bathroom, with a toothbrush and a man that Zoë loves dearly, The Mechanics of Intimacy is a devised performance sharing formal qualities with collage, contemporary theatre, and sound art. Inspired by modern atomized hyper-independent culture, automation, and tender desires to connect with another, this performance poses the question, where do we find intimacy in an increasingly inanimate world? Performers and audience members are invited to engage in acts of closeness: acts that resemble mundane, domestic habits but are perverted to their surreal capacities. Self-performing appliances dressed in tattered wigs and wet lace panties, and humans performing oral care rituals for each other are some of the absurd tactics this performance employs to reimagine and augment how we experience connection. Leveraging the empathetic qualities of cringe, surprise, and humour this piece aims not to just contemplate intimacy, but rather form it between performers and audience.