(reviewer James Gartler, roverarts.com)
There isn’t praise high enough for Phone Whore. Cameryn Moore’s one-woman, semi-autobiographical look into the life of a phone sex worker is frank, funny, brave, unsettling and even moving. Moore gives her audience exactly what they came for with steamy, one-sided re-enactments of calls with randy clients. But rather than stretch the material to comical extremes, she subtly shifts her focus to the societal expectations and primal longings that drive us all to fantasize in the first place. Moore’s calm, casual, nonjudgmental approach makes this by far the most intimate and insightful theatre experience you’re likely to have, in more ways than one. Plus, the script is as tight as you could hope for, steadily building momentum until it reaches a climax that’ll leave you speechless. See it, and see it now.
(reviewer donna g, CIUT 89.5FM, Toronto)
So you know the title and you’ve read the description, so it won’t be a surprise to you when you go see the show that the language and phone scenarios are sexually explicit. What may surprise you is the strength of the writing and the polished acting: no basic sex ad chatter that you find in the classifieds, and no fake, over the top, cutesie acting. What you get in Phone Whore is honesty and a script that questions society’s standards, taboos and hypocrisy in relation to sex and sexual fantasies.
read the entire review here
(reviewer Megan Mooney, Mooney on Theatre)
Phone Whore is fantastic. It’s worth feeling awkward to go see this show. In fact, maybe feeling awkward is an integral part of the experience of this show.
read the entire review here
(reviewer Richard Lam, FastForward weekly, Calgary)
Cameryn Moore isn’t the scantily clad young woman you see on your TV late at night, beckoning you to call the long phone number underneath. There are no soft-lit candles in her room, and no, she is definitely nowhere near the bed. But she is here to tell you her stories.
read the entire review here
audience member, Montreal Fringe 2010:
See this show. REALLY. It’s THAT good.
Yes, you get re-enactments of sex phone calls from the perspective of a real-life Sex Phone operator. Yes, they’re funny and hot and strange. But the show is much more than that – a comfortable, engaging look at the way people regard themselves and their fantasies. Great script that builds the whole way through.
Obviously, not a kid friendly show (frankness abounds!) but one you have to see. FUNNY. SAD. HONEST. Just trust me on this one.
audience member, Montreal Fringe 2010:
I saw Phone Whore yesterday, and I’m STILL thinking and talking about the issues it raised. Cameryn is a natural performer (well, I guess she’d have to be, as a sex phone operator!) and is completely charming and real throughout the show. This show is a chance to peek inside the world of a sex phone operator while learning a bit about the kind of people who call the lines, and what they’re looking for (which WILL surprise you). The script is tight and well-written, expressing her views on sexuality without ever being preachy.
The friend I went to see the show with turned to me while we were on a bike ride today and said, “You know, I’m still thinking about Phone Whore! And [a $30-a-ticket show performed by a very prestigious actor], I forgot about 5 minutes after we left.â€
Not only will this show entertain you, it’ll get you thinking and talking long after you leave the theatre. How many Fringe shows do that?
The calls are graphic, but never TOO graphic, in my opinion. If you can handle an R-rated movie and frank talk about sexuality, you’ll be able to handle this show. Cameryn is smart, sexy, and funny with a imaginatively dirty mind and a whole lot of compassion. Go see this show!!
audience member, Ottawa Fringe 2010:
For such an uncomfortable subject, I’ve never seen an actor more comfortable on stage. Like her clients, ‘Larissa’ takes care of you as she guides you through her life as a phone sex operator. She has a voice you could listen to for hours.
This piece has its extremes. It starts out light hearted, hilarious, and the themes that emerge are very provoking. Although by the end it takes a turn that I don’t think anyone expected. One could physically feel the uncomfortable shifting and baited breath of the audience during the final scene. As difficult as it may be for some to sit through the last section, it is completely worth it.
I haven’t been shaken by a piece of theatre like this for quite a while. And because of this, I have to praise it as a complete success and a must see.