Reviews of Timmy's Sexual Adventures

4 STARS, By Joanne Paulson

Saskatoon Star Phoenix, Wednesday August 10th, 2005

Brad Curtin, alias Timmy, doesn't need any press to pull in audiences. At his performance Tuesday night, the house numbered over 90 (including latecomers!) -- by far the largest this reviewer has seen this year.

Word of mouth? Salacious title? Who knows, but Curtin is packing them in ... teenagers of both sexes, middle-aged folks, you name it.

They all brought their guffaws. Curtin, no doubt, is very funny as the sex-addled Timmy, as he portrays him from childhood to young manhood.

He grows through Timmy's sexual awakening, and later his sexual adventures, with rapid-fire, fairly heavy language. Somehow, it still manages to come across as not-too-vulgar, perhaps due to a sort of natural sweetness.

Among the best scenes are his nasty encounter with a Bounce sheet, and well-thought-out interactions with two girlfriends, portrayed by puppets. He also has a "voice," thank goodness, which manages to prevent him from some, um, unpleasantness. His use of the main prop, a huge pair of Y-front shorts, is also extremely clever.

The show is great fun, if it isn't high art, and Curtin manages to slip in a message among the sometimes-unoriginal jokes (Sears catalogue-related, for instance.) There is a plea for sexual sanity woven in, that may strike a few chords if the howling audience stops to listen.

High-Energy Hour of Earthy Humour

4 SUNS (OUT OF 5), Fri Aug 19, 2005

By COLIN MACLEAN, EDMONTON SUN FREELANCE

Brad Curtin, who last year gave us a sober drama/documentary on the Walkerton water crisis, returns with a jolly look at the sexual awakening of a young man.

Some of the sexual content in Timmy's Sexual Adventures is heavy going but Curtin brings an innate sweetness and puppy dog enthusiasm to the show that takes away any sting of vulgarity.

There's not a lot that's new here either, but like any adolescent, Timmy is experiencing it for the first time and through the energy and zest of his creator, we share in his discovery. So Timmy slavers in the lin-ger-ee section of Sears catalogue while moving up to "dirty magazines.'' He reacts to the half-truths presented by his friends, ("You either like girls or you're gay.'' "If you don't like either one, is there something in-between?'' poses the very young Timmy.) He is assisted in his quest by a Sexual Superhero in shorts and suspenders.

The high-energy hour clips along through Timmy's awakening and then goes on to sound a warning on what can happen when any human trait becomes an obsession. "I'm a slave to my penis,'' Timmy comments ruefully as his longtime friend becomes his nemesis.

Curtin's ingenious prop is a large pair of stretchy shorts which break away into all sorts of handy devices. He also makes good use of two puppets.

There is little of the human condition in the play and few ideas rattle about in its fixated little head. The only thing heavy is the heavy laughter that erupts throughout the show.

Curtin is a force of nature and sex has seldom been so much fun.

4 STARS, By Eva Marie Clarke

See Magazine, Edmonton, August 22, 2005

Given the vicissitudes of sexual development and awakening, it should come as no surprise to the onlooker that aliens are involved- in this case Brief Boy, a Centaurian assigned to guide Timmy from Boy to Man (remember that awful sex ed movie?!).

Brad Curtin, a fearless physical performer, tackles both roles with gusto, imbuing the borderline offensive material with a purity of spirit that is oddly sweet and captivating. Not since Woody Allen has a performer so completely entered the inner workings of the sexual being- a scene where Sgt. Peter addresses the Privates is hilarious, contained as it is within a set of enormous Y-fronts, is inventive another scenes will leave you rolling in the aisles.

What sets Timmy’s Sexual Adventures apart from mere sex-ploitation is a brutal male honesty as the protagonist journeys from raging ball of hormones to guilt-ridden fuck-me beast. Curtin doesn’t presume to elevate the sex drive into something transcendental, nor does he impose a sensitive new age guy moral onto his tale; rather it exists within the realm of normal experience, and is all the funnier for that.

A Complex Look at Sensitive Issues

4 STARS, By Sarah Petrescu

Times Colonist, Victoria, Sat Sept 3, 05

If the Thought of a very sweaty man in tight white cotton undies terrifies you, Timmy’s Sexual Adventures may not be the show for you. On the other hand, if you dare, you’re in for an uncomfortably funny ride.

The play begins behind a giant pair of tighty-whiteys with a superhero called Brief Boy, whose mission is to sexually liberate a boy named Timmy. Kind of creepy, considering little Timmy seems about six-years-old. Even creepier that he’s played by a 32-year-old with a hairy chest, Brad Curtin from Mississauga, Ont.

From the get-go, Timmy endures the obvious struggles with his sexuality. He knows he likes his penis and since he’s a boy, does that mean he’s gay?

When he gets past the icky-girl stage and into college, Timmy is hooked on having sex, a fact represented by a hilarious scene in which the actor makes love to the puppet actor with plastic breasts. His sexual peak takes a plunge as he becomes entangled in the personal dramas that accompany following your penis at all costs. And self-mutilation is, of course, the only outlet for a self-loathing misogynist who just wants to save others from his prowess.

While Timmy’s Sexual Adventures may tread the thin line of offensiveness – at least to some people – the show confronts sensitive issues with the depth and complexity they deserve. A clever set and lighting break up the monotony of watching one person run around on stage for an hour.

And delving into the under-exploited psyche of the male libido is as humourous as it is thought-provoking. This is not a play I wanted to enjoy, but I did.

A man playing by himself... 06/12/2005

By: Justin Levy, June 12, 2005.

Running up St. Laurent to get my first glimpse of the Fringe Festival, I realized two things: first, that I had no idea what I was getting myself in to; second, that I must be the only asshole not wearing shorts. Ignoring the stickiest weather Montreal has to offer and ascended the stairs to the CFCF-CTV stage to see the one man show “Timmy’s Sexual Adventures,” written and performed by Brad Curtin. Feeling ready for anything and sweating like a drug mule watching a customs agent put on a rubber glove, I took my seat and watched.

Expecting outlandish and gratuitous innuendo, (which I got) the surprise was how much I identified with Timmy, the main character. The plot chronicles Timmy’s discoveries of his sexuality from puberty to mid-life crisis. Timmy is accompanied on this journey by his sexual conscience, in the form of a suspiciously hetero super sex hero, who is intent on assuring that Timmy becomes a “normal straight male.” As Timmy experiences the joys of puberty and begins to experiment sexually, we start to notice the conspicuous nature of his sexual guide. Timmy is soon consumed by his hormones and becomes obsessed with sex. The more he gets the more he needs.

The plot, although somewhat predictable, would be familiar to most men (and maybe even women) in that Timmy asks the same questions most guys ask as they discover their sexual identity. If you want to know more, see the show. And as for the gratuitous sexual content... Well, just imagine Thunderbirds meets the one man band from Mary Poppins (yeah, that’s right -- Mary Poppins).

As far as the production is concerned, the set is innovative (to say the least). Director Darlene Spencer did an admirable job as the one man/multiple character genre can often become tedious to watch.

Final verdict: Worth an hour of your time. Unless, of course, you’re actually off having sexual adventures of your own.

Edited by Aidan Nulman

The Montreal Gazette, Wed June 15, 2005

By: Brent Dawes

Timmy's Sexual Adventures

A giant pair of boy's briefs is the first thing you see and it's part of the mature content of this energy-filled one-man show. Brad Curtin has a hilariously defined grasp of each and every character he plays but needs to perform to a packed house. Also, if you are questioning your sexuality, some answers might be found at this one.

Montreal Mirror, June 16th 2005

By: Patrick Lejtenyi

View the Montreal Mirror Review Here

Following the sexual career of young Timmy, from his nascent kindergarten encounters with icky girls, through to his sexual peak as a university student, this one-man show takes a good, often quite funny look at the relationship between a boy and his penis. The penis often wins. While sexual diaries have often been the domain of female writers and performers, writer/performer Brad Curtin offers a fresh take on how the male libido—here personified as a macho, closeted superhero wearing only briefs and suspenders—gets the better of the male mind, with consequences that end in self-loathing and near mutilation.

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