Tender introduces the Dancing Bears, a New Jersey male strip club that has seen better—and significantly more lucrative—days. The establishment is currently losing the “Battle of the Bulge” to a rival club across town, The Dancing Bulls, whose performers apparently possess the kind of structural integrity and modern choreography that the Bears’ ageing roster lacks.
The resident trio played by Darren Bennett, Dex Lee and Kwami Odoom consists of Donny, the veteran, whose “glory days” are increasingly visible in the rearview mirror, Geoff, who is doing his best with the tools he has and Trae, the youngest, who approaches stripping with the earnestness of a Boy Scout helping an old lady cross the street.
Their professional decline is interrupted by B, the owner’s daughter, played by Jessie Mei, who arrives not with a better sound system or more sequins but with a clipboard and a penchant for psychological demolition. Instead of teaching them how to grind more effectively, she subjects them to a series of drills designed to dismantle their masculine personas. The play effectively transitions from a boisterous, slightly desperate stage show into a high-stakes group therapy session where the “costumes” are emotional armour, and the goal isn’t tips—it’s survival.
Afridiziak shouts go out to all three guys, but especially Kwami Odoom (Trae), who executes demanding, professional-grade choreography on the pole shifts from high-energy entertainment to a raw, stripped-back vulnerability. He captures the specific humour and tragedy of a person forced to realise that “strength” and “tenderness” are not mutually exclusive, even when you’re wearing very little clothing.
Directed by Matthew Xia, the premise features a failing male strip club, Dave Harris uses this setting to deconstruct gender roles. It moves from raucous, “filthy” comedy with brilliant dancing to a serious interrogation of the language of pleasure.
If you want something different with a touch of titillation, go see it. As part of the audience, you can participate in the show’s decision-making moments with your “yes/no” paddle, practically sit directly in the action, getting within “touching distance” of the performance, and, perhaps best of all, you are provided with fake dollar bills to ‘stick where the sun don’t shine’.
Need to Know: Tender plays at Soho Theatre until 30 May 2026
Related links
