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Body Count

 
Ewan Woods Review by Ewan Woods 5 Published: 12 Aug 2025 Pleasance Courtyard Show Dates: 30 Jul 2025-25 Aug 2025

The field of sex work has radically changed over the past few years, with the rise of OnlyFans and increasingly sensationalist sexual acts reaching national headlines, inspiring further uptake and ever greater sensationalism in turn. Body Count tackles these issues head on, leaving very little to the imagination, as the high-energy, insane show strives to tackle the difficult questions surrounding sex work and women’s sexuality.

In an industry where sex literally sells, who truly controls women’s bodies?

Body Count tells the story of Pollie, an OnlyFans megastar taking on her most ambitious challenge yet – sleeping with 1,000 of her subscribers at the Edinburgh Fringe. As audience members enter, with several adorned in provided blue balaclavas, Issy Knowles’ Pollie arrives ready to begin, coming out completely “naked” in front of the audience and prepared to perform any and every sexual act. The show then follows the attempt to sleep with 1,000 men, interspersed with an interviewer preparing a documentary and asking about her life.

Despite the show jumping between disconnected scenes – from sex act, to interview, to flashback about Pollie’s life – the tight writing keeps things easy to follow. Knowles’ performance as Pollie works wonders in ensuring that this narrative stays coherent, with her not only fully realising the witty, sexy persona she clearly wants to put on, but also being brilliantly raw as Pollie is tested when the challenge drags on, or when recounting her own difficulties in coming to terms with her sexuality.

Knowles’ writing is also immaculate. It tackles the difficult nature of sex work and the questions it raises with great sincerity, while also allowing the audience to laugh at some of the more absurdist elements of the piece – be that the impersonations of the men coming to sleep with Pollie or the horrific absurdities of the sex work industry. The show is incredibly polished, in writing, acting and direction, and despite the potential for a bombastic and simple parody of Bonnie Blue or other OnlyFans creators, it instead provides a funny, heartfelt examination of women’s sexuality, and asks how, in an industry where sex literally sells, who truly controls women’s bodies?

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The Blurb:

Following in the footsteps of the OnlyFans creators before her, Pollie is determined to catapult herself to stratospheric fame with her most extreme stunt yet: sleeping with 1,000 of her subscribers at the Edinburgh Fringe. A one-woman dark comedy exploring the new era of sex work as a competitive sport, Body Count dives into the head and heart of one of society's most vilified women, uncovering the person behind the tabloids and stripping away the male fantasy to reveal the humanity beneath. 'Thought-provoking and powerful… Jokes as funny and skillfully structured as many top stand-up comedians' **** (Scotsman).