For a short but spicy run at the Stage Door Theatre in Covent Garden, Dan Ireland-Reeves takes the stage by storm in Sauna Boy, a one-man show that’s as provocative as it is revealing. Armed with nothing more than a chair, an unopened condom, and a bottle of poppers, Ireland-Reeves spins a tale that delves into the steamy underbelly of a gay sauna.

The story follows Danny Boy over the course of a year as he revamps the floundering West End Sauna. Alongside a colourful cast of characters, all played with by Ireland-Reeves himself, we meet the domineering yet disastrously inept sauna owner, Mother, and the eclectic colleagues known as the West End Boys.

From the moment Danny Boy leaps onto the stage, you’re in for a wild ride. His high-energy antics, which include table-jumping and stripping, inject the show with a lively, almost chaotic charm that keeps the largely 40+ gay male audience engaged. The play’s humour swings from witty gay jokes and innuendos to more crass humour, featuring memorable moments like sperm-in-the-eye gags and a glory hole scene that would make even the most jaded audience member blush. Note to the theatre staff: that chair is going to need a deep clean by the end of the run!

It’s not all rainbows and pride flags either as Sauna Boy explores some of the darker side of the gay sex scene. Nevertheless it’s a fascinating peek behind the curtain of a gay sauna. Sure, the plot doesn’t really do much, and the repeated use of the C-word loses its punch, but Sauna Boy certainly answers a lot the burning questions you’ve always wanted to ask about a gay sauna, and Ireland-Reeves’ performance is undeniably engaging.

Sauna Boy is a bold, unfiltered glimpse into a hidden world, making for a night at the theatre you won’t soon forget.