Life Would be Pretty Dull Without Sex, Raves and MDMA – Bread and Roses Theatre

After debuting in Edinburgh in 2025, winning the Keep It Fringe Award, and then appearing as part of Brighton Fringe, Life Would be Pretty Dull Without Sex, Raves and MDMA has found its way back to writer Bex Wall’s home: London. With bright lights, loud music and some funky dance moves (and yes, make sure you’ve got your own ones ready too), this play is guaranteed to have you laughing out loud and then shedding a tear, all within the space of 60 minutes. 

Writer Sarah Asante Gregory and co-writer/performer Bex Wall have written a play about grief and the fact that there is no correct way to deal with it. We see Bex deal with the loss of her brother and receiving her cancer diagnosis by embracing 90s rave culture, having lots of sex and dabbling in a few drugs… maybe more than a few, all in an effort to avoid the harsh reality of facing her feelings. The play is heartbreaking and funny, asking the audience what makes them feel alive and encouraging them to keep chasing that feeling.

When you enter the theatre, loud rave music is playing, and multicoloured lights are flashing. Instantly you’re immersed, and it doesn’t end there, with audience members being asked to come up onto the stage and join in on a game about popular 90s alcoholic drinks, with one lucky audience member winning a free beverage. This set the tone perfectly for a relaxed hour of entertainment, with Bex instantly creating a great rapport with the audience. That rapport then helped us feel complete sympathy for her in the more vulnerable points of the play. Director Krystal Lowe paced the show brilliantly; the balance between comedy and tragedy was perfect, with Bex breaking up her emotional monologues with jokes and more wild dancing. This never took away from those delicate moments; however, it just meant that by the end, when Bex finally sat with her emotions and allowed herself to feel vulnerable, it was even more heartbreaking, because we were aware of how long it took her to get to that point and what a journey she has been on. The audience were kept on their toes the whole time. 

The lighting was colourful and fun for the most part, with a stark white wash being used during her vulnerable and emotional monologues, which helped to represent how exposed she felt when talking about her feelings. A warm light was used behind the audience, shining down on Bex to represent her brother when she was talking to him. This was really effective as it really felt like he was there with us in the room. 

Some moments felt a little messy, with some transitions between monologue and dancing feeling a little clunky. Having said that, grief is incredibly messy, and so these moments were absolutely forgivable. Being a one-woman show, it could have had a tendency to come across as self-centered, but this didn’t come close to that. Despite it being Bex’s story, much of it was incredibly relatable, and so every single audience member will have taken something away from it. This play also feels special, not just because it’s personal to Bex, but because it feels personal to the audience too, as every single performance will be slightly different due to the audience participation and moments of improvisation.  

I am a huge believer that theatre is at its best when it’s bold, brave, and forces the audience to be vulnerable, and Life Would Be Pretty Dull does exactly that. Bex Wall gives an energetic and compelling performance, leaving everything she has out on that stage… or should I say the dance floor. By the end, the entire audience was up on stage dancing with her. It was a fantastic way to end the show, as it displayed how, despite grief being horrendous, it also has the ability to bring people together. 

Life Would be Pretty Dull Without Sex, Raves and MDMA plays at The Bread and Roses Theatre on the 21st and 22nd of October 2026 as part of Lambeth Fringe. 

https://lambethfringe.com/events/life-would-be-pretty-dull-without-sex-raves-and-mdma

Reviewer: Holly-Lily
Reviewed: 21st October 2026
North West End UK / Theatre Muse UK Rating: