There are downsides to most jobs and many come with dangers, hidden or otherwise, but there are usually compensatory factors as well. Working as a rent boy is no exception. Through the character of Tyler Everett,
Dan Ireland-Reeves is clearly a talent to look out for.
Writer and performer, Dan Ireland-Reeves, is young and fresh-faced. He has an attractive good-looking ordinariness about him that suggests he’s trustworthy and honest. These qualities validate Tyler’s story and give it credibility. Tyler speaks openly and descriptively. He comes across as just one more ordinary lad who left a dull home in a boring town to find another existence in London. Selling his body wasn't the only option open to him. He could have made money in a regular job, as he did from time to time, but he chose to become a male escort. The hedonistic life of drugs, drink and sex appealed to him and for the most part it was easy money. Most clients weren't that demanding and he came to enjoy what he saw as the kinkier demands of the few. Then, one evening, a reliable regular wanted something rather different and Tyler’s life changed for ever.
On a basement stage that accommodates little more that two steps in any direction, Dan uses the space and his luminous stool to effectively locate the various episodes; the otherwise cramped location aiding the intimacy of Tyler’s tale. He speaks eloquently and clearly, if a little hurriedly at times. Moments of soulful reflection are contrasted with adrenaline-fuelled frustration and fear. The style is simple; there are no hidden depths and nothing profound and it is all the more endearing for that. He presents himself as he, effectively saying, “This is me. This is my story. Make of it what you will. I just want you to hear it”.
Having already won the Write for the Stage award for New Writing at the Greater Manchester Fringe 2017 Dan Ireland-Reeves is clearly a talent to look out for. Bleach has certainly bump-started his career and is sure to entertain his audiences.
