Queerguru’s Andrew Hebden reviews SHELF TEENAGE MEN “a really good hug of a show” at London’s Soho Theatre

Shelf: Teenage Men ⚝⚝⚝⚝
Soho Theatre

In a world seemingly teetering on the cusp of the abyss, Shelf have a charm that’s hard to define. Deeply comforting and oddly wholesome Rachel WD and Ruby Clyde ease the audience along a journey of sexual and gender fluidity that seems effortlessly authentic, guilelessly hilarious, and wonderfully transgressive. 

Rachel, whose biography dominates the show, was a fuckboi teen. Brought up by a heartbreaking butch, but effortlessly cool, mum they found it impossible to rebel and instead decided they wanted to compete with mum over who was the manliest. This made it hard to share the inevitable moments of twenty something heartbreak with the woman they actually had most in common with.

Ruby, was the tomboy kid who made a pact with their tomboy friends that they would never become girly girls, and if they did then murder suicide was the more acceptable option. Coming out a lot later than Rachel, they have a strong preference for women but just can’t help getting hot and bothered when a swishy twink sashays on to the scene. 

Rachel and Ruby share the confused social convulsions that their gender presentation, mainly interpreted as teen boy, causes. This includes discovering that their macho heterosexual cis male neighbor loves being referred to as Baby Girl and dealing with the clumsily well meaning liberals who over pronounce their pronouns. The anecdotes are interspersed with song covers, inevitably a little Alanis Morissette, and some clever original songs. The musical highlight had Ruby singing in the character of Rachel’s Instagram algorithm, which surprise surprise, had also interpreted Rachel as a teen boy, including endless videos of other teen boys playing video games, tips on how to chat to women, and cage fighting. 

The chemistry between the two of them is contagious. Warm, playful and supportive but with the honesty that only friends who have been through it all together can have. The audience melted for them like butter on a hot scone. Whilst their material in this show might be adult it really comes as no surprise that their most lucrative gigs are as kids entertainers. The topics they cover are different depending on the audience (just in case one of those raging anti Drag Queen Story Hour loons has slipped through the Queerguru toxin  

It’s a feel good hug of a show. The laughter is largely victimless but still with a little al dente bite that gives it substance. Queerguru have reviewed this pair before but they have stepped up a notch with this show.  If, like most of us, you feel life is teetering on the abyss it’s nice to know that some plunges can take you headfirst into a lovely warm duvet

Queerguru Contributing Editor ANDREW HEBDEN is a MEDIA and cultural STUDIES graduate spending his career between London, Beijing, and NYC as an expert in media and social trends. As part of the expanding minimalist FIRE movement, he recently returned to the UK and lives in Soho. He devotes as much time as possible to the movies, theatre, and the gym. His favorite thing is to try something (anything) new every day”