Tag: Gay Plays

The latest reviews and news about gay plays in London and around the UK.

THEATRE REVIEW | Southern Baptist Sissies, Above the Stag Theatre, London

★★★★★ | Southern Baptist Sissies, Above the Stag Theatre, London

There’s something in the holy water at a Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas because all of the boys there are gay. And they’re not the only ones who have a story to tell. It all unravels in Southern Baptist Sissies, the new show at Above the Stage Theatre.

Southern Baptist Sissies is actually two shows in one. Four boys live in a religious community where they spend their days praying and the rest of the time all they can think about are other boys! Then in a very hilarious, emotional and witty way, we see these boys grow up to become young men, full of passion, love and in one case, regret. Separately there are scenes set in a gay drag bar where two barflies have a conversation about their lives, their adventures and their regrets while the young men from the church segments portray other characters in the bar. It’s genius!!!

Southern Baptist Sissies cleverly intertwines both stories while we get to know a bit about each character. Mark (Jason Kirk) does an outstanding job as the narrator who is also in love with the very sexy and muscular TJ (Daniel Klemens), whose other character is a sexy go go boy in the gay drag bar. James Phoon is a revelation as Benny, the most feminine of the boys, yet as alter ego Miss Iona Taylor, he’s the star of the show at the drag bar. The scene where’s he’s disrobing while pouring his heart out is absolutely stunning. And last but not least there is Andrew (Hugh O’Donnell), a sensitive young man who unfortunately has a very disapproving mother (Janet Prince). Don Cotter (as Preston) and Julie Ross (as Odette) are brilliant as the couple who exchange stories at the bar; two older people looking back at the past while contemplating what’s left of their future, with Preston always ogling the young men in the bar. It’s all fantastically put together in a fab script by Del Shores and superb direction by Gene David Kirk.

After a few mediocre shows, Above the Stag has really upped their game with this show. It’s funny, relevant, emotional and at the end literally had the audience in tears. There are still tickets left for a few performances – BOOK THEM NOW – it’s a show you definitely don’t want to miss! If, and when, this show sells out, hopefully Above the Stag will be able to re-stage it when they move to a larger venue just down the road. More people really need to see this show.

For tickets, please go to:

http://www.abovethestag.com/shows/

13th March 2017
THEATRE REVIEW | The Boys in the Band, Vaudeville Theatre

★★★| The Boys in the Band

A play that was originally produced off Broadway in 1968 has returned to the West End again, it’s the famous gay play ‘The Boys in The Band.’

Written by Martin Crowley, and fresh from last year’s run at the Park Theatre, the durability of this play is a testament to the crisp and hilarious writing, and the performances of the actors, of the trials and tribulations of eight gay men (and one possibly straight man) which makes this play endure.

The story, in case you don’t know, is about a birthday party for Harold (a very good Mark Gatiss), a posh 42-year old gay man who seems to have everything. The party takes place in the very nice apartment of Michael (Ian Hallard, Gatiss’s real-life husband), with posters of film divas (Marilyn Monroe, Bette Davis and lots of Judy Garland) that cleverly hang on the walls. The first to arrive at the birthday party is Donald (Daniel Boys), good looking and employed as a cleaner. He seems to be the most stable of the bunch. Then there’s Hank (Nathan Nolan) and Larry (Ben Mansfield), a couple who bring down the mood because of the constant tension between them. Do they really love each other? Then there’s Emory (an excellent James Holmes – the true star of the show). He’s witty, camp, funny and hilarious with the best lines. Emory, incidentally, has hired a not too smart male stripper named Cowboy (Jack Derges) who was supposed to arrive at Midnight (Midnight Cowboy – get it?), but arrives before the birthday boy gets there. He’s as hot and sexy as you would expect, and Derges plays him perfectly. Then there is a straight friend of Michael’s who comes to the party because he happens to be nearby. Throw this in along with a phone game and all of this creates more drama and tension in a play with a multitude of characters that you will either love or hate, though more than likely you will hate them

‘The Boys in the Band’ is a play that is very outdated. It portrays gay men as bitter, angry and more importantly, lonely and outcast, but times have changed. And this show, which has been produced many times, has the same cast who were in the Park Theatre production last October. The actors are all very good (Holmes is really living it up on stage and looks like he’s really enjoying himself), the set is very clever, and the rest of the cast are very good, but it’s time to put this story to bed. ‘The Boys in the Band’ has been done to death. And as one of the characters says in the show ‘show me a happy homosexual and I’ll show you a gay corpse’ – this show is no longer relevant.

‘The Boys in the Band’ is playing at London’s Vaudeville Theatre until Saturday, February 18th.

https://www.nimaxtheatres.com/vaudeville-theatre/the_boys_in_the_band

12th February 2017
THEATRE REVIEW | Bitches Ahoy!, Above The Stag

★★★★ | Bitches Ahoy! : Above The Stag

Batten down the hatches, all hands on your AussieBums, and anchors – prudes advised to stay on dry land – aweigh.

CREDIT: Above The Stag

Gareth, Max and Fat Pam set sail for a new adventure on the Mediterranean awash with a couple of love interests in close-quarters. This is up-and-coming Playwright Martin Blackburn’s second production – an all-at-sea sequel to Aright Bitches! – and in Blackburn’s previous style: pummelled with more innuendos than a Navy Officer in the engine room after six months at sea.

Buoyant party-buoy Gareth (Ethan Chapples) is holibobing with new squeeze Drew (Chris Clynes), and giving monogamy a stern-go onboard a queer cruise with two thousand homo-hotties – will either walk the plank of infidelity? Nothing’s ever plain-sailing on this ship.

Max has embarked on a new career as a cabin boy with a firm eye in every porthole and a love/hate taste for his surroundings. Pam (Hannah Vesty) has harpooned the Moby of all Dicks and flaunts new French fiancé Patrice (Simon Burr) from port to starboard causing a splash with the whole crew’s rudders. Straight guy aboard a gay cruise – what could possibly come adrift?

Blackburn clearly knows how to quill a boat-rocking quip, but on this voyage, some of the jokes were washed ashore unnoticed, mainly due to the delivery.

Come aboard this vessel for cock-capers, tampon-tomfoolery and to catch a glimpse of Pam wet wiping her lady bits. This is a camp factor 50 with the potent UVAs radiating from Vesty and Chapples – giving you the Jolly Rogers and the January blues the heave-ho.

Bitches Ahoy is at Above The Stag Theatre until 26th February

24th January 2017
THEATRE REVIEW | Holding The Man, Jack Studio Theatre

★★★ | Holding The Man, Jack Studio Theatre

CREDIT: Nicholas Chinardet

Holding the Man is a play by Tommy Murphy (Strangers in Between) that was also made into a film in 2015.

It’s based on Timothy Conigrave’s 1995 memoir, an elegy to his late partner, John Caleo. The pair met as teenagers in 1970s Australia and fell in love, facing parental disapproval, trying to find where they fitted into society and experimenting with their sexuality. Sadly, Conigrave died aged 34 from an AIDS related illness shortly after completing the book. This is more than just a play about the AIDS crisis, though. It’s a tender love story and a reflection on the problems faced by young gay people, which is still pertinent today.

Director Sebastian Polka has taken a clever starting point to staging this play. The play is wide in its scope, covering Tim’s Catholic school upbringing through to his death, looking at his first experiences of the gay scene and gay activism, his career as an actor and the highs and lows of his relationship with John. Polka takes Tim’s acting career as a point from which to present the characters with the stage being a dressing room where Tim conjures up scenes from his life. Tim is played with skill and sensitivity by lean and angular Christopher Hunter along with astonishingly good muscle hunk Paul-Emile Forman as John. The astonishing thing is that this is Forman’s professional debut and he gives an incredibly subtle and nuanced performance. The rest of the characters from Tim’s life are played by four actors who constantly change clothes and accents along with their roles.
It’s an interesting play that is well staged but ultimately the problem lies in the play itself. It’s a major task to try to present twenty-five years of a man’s life in such detail in one play.

The focus on so many events ends up detracting somewhat from the whole effect and leaves it feeling oddly bloodless. The actors barely have space within the dialogue to convey much and the piece occasionally feels superficial and has less emotional depth than it could have.

Holding The Man plays at the Jack Studio Theatre until 4th Feb 2017

24th January 2017
THEATRE REVIEW | Strangers in Between, Kings Head Theatre

★★★★ | Strangers in Between, Kings Head Theatre

CREDIT: Andreas Grieger

Great performances by a cast of three is the highlight of the play ‘Strangers in Between.’

Playing for the second year in a row at the Kings Head Theatre, ’Strangers in Between’ is a drama about a young man experiencing the big city for the first time. Shane (Roly Botha) has moved from his small hometown in Australia to the big city of Sydney. He says he’s 19, and he works in a liquor store yet doesn’t even know how to use the register. In walks a customer – gay and trendy Will (Dan Hunter). Shane at first is a bit intimidated by him, but they manage to make small talk until another customer walks in – Peter (Stephen Connery-Brown) – a middle-aged gay man looking for a simple yet inexpensive bottle of wine. Eventually, Shane gets Will’s number.

Shane lives in the Kings Cross section of Sydney, an area teeming with prostitutes and crime. But Shane loves it there, especially as it’s far away from his family, and especially brother, he ran away from. He and Will hook up for a few trysts – it’s purely a sexual relationship – while Shane finds comfort in his friendship with Peter. But Shane has a couple secrets, one being his age, and the other involving his homophobic brother Ben (Hunter). But suddenly Ben finds Shane in Sydney after Shane’s world is falling apart after he has lost his job and contracted an STD from Will.

The cast is very admirable but it’s Botha who shines. His Shane is young, cute, innocent and with a nervous tick – he dominates the very small stage – Botha is a wonder. Hunter ably does double duty as Will and Ben, while Connery-Brown is very good as Peter. While the ending is a bit of a letdown, the play, written by Tommy Murphy, is a show that all of us can relate to because at one time we were all young and innocent and new to the big city.

For tickets, please visit:

Strangers In Between plays at the Kings Head Theatre until 4th Feb 2017

13th January 2017
THEATRE REVIEW | Beauty On The Piste

✭✭ | Beauty on the Piste

CREDIT: Above The Stag

It’s Panto season in case you’ve been hiding under a rock, and with that comes shows that are silly and campy, some good and more than a few not so good. But does it really matter?

This year’s panto at Above the Stag is Beauty on the Piste, a reimagining of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and it’s exactly what you would expect, but perhaps a bit less.

This is the plot, in a nutshell: Morag (David Moss) and her son Mac (an adorable Ross Tucker) own a tea house high up in the mountains in a town called Les De Nice (Les Dennis – cue laugh here).

Passing by the tea house is the young lithe and blond boy Beau (Joshua Oakes-Rogers) and his father Gustav (Andrew Truluck). Beau is eternally horny and always on Grindr (we’re getting tired of Grindr being in almost every gay play nowadays). But nearby is where The Beast (Jamie Coles) lives, behind huge gates in an old mansion, and he’s hardly ever seen.

One night Morag and Gustav decide to take a walk to get to know each other better, but they are kidnapped by The Beast, and it’s up to Morag and Beau to go looking for them. They find them in The Beast’s home, and Beau trades places with his father to let him free, and it’s only a matter of time before sparks fly between Beau and The Beast. But trouble lies on the horizon; the gay Sebastian St. Moritz (Simon Burr), who owns lots of the property in Les De Nice, wants to raise the rent of the tea house, so what’s the newly rescued Morag and her son going to do? Throw in Mabel the Fairy (a cute Briony Rawie), and The Beasts housekeeper – Heidi (Ellen Butler) – who keeps morphing into various items one finds in the house- and what you’ve got is a show, with a sing-a-long, that’s full of glitter and glee.

Does it matter that the songs are awful? No!

Does it matter that this production is not one of the Stag’s better shows? No!

And does it matter that most (if not all) of the cast can’t sing? Of course not!

Why?

Because you’re not going to see Beauty on the Piste because it is sold out for the rest of it’s run! So perhaps console (or congratulate) yourself and buy a ticket to their next production – Bitches Ahoy – a show that bills itself as a “gay holiday hilarity” – hopefully it’s a return to the Stag’s better quality shows. Just one month to go until Panto season ends, whew!

Just one month to go until Panto season ends, whew!

Beauty On the Piste plays at Above The Stag until 14th January 2017

6th December 2016
THEATRE REVIEW | Jinkx Monsoon and Major Scales: Unwrapped

★★★★★ | Jinkx Monsoon and Major Scales: Unwrapped
CREDIT: Nate Watters
I have to confess that I had mixed emotions at the prospect of seeing Jinkx Monsoon (Seattle’s youngest M.I.L.F. and the victorious underdog from Season 5), and Major Scales at the Soho Theatre. Firstly, I’m a huge fanboy of Jinkx. Who doesn’t love a narcoleptic Jewish drag queen? Secondly, though, I don’t like Christmas and this is a Christmas show. When I say I don’t like Christmas I mean in a pathological, itchy toothed, nails scraping into my palms kind of way. Whilst Jinkx is my favourite queen of all time from RuPaul’s Drag Race the prospect of a Christmas-themed show in November made me feel vaguely psychotic and almost had me reaching for the brandy bottle.

I really needn’t have worried. Major Scales describes this as a show holiday show for those exhausted by the holidays. There’s not a trace of Mariah Carey and no fake bonhomie. Instead Major takes on the role of pro-Christmas advocate whilst Jinkx drily drawls about how rubbish it actually can be. Especially for an unconventional queer Jewish drag artiste.

They cover subjects such as what gifts to give to give to queer children, why singing a song about seducing a fat old man is just plain weird (Santa Baby) and how to spend time with your right wing Trump/Brexit loving relatives. There are some witty covers of Bowie, a Del Ray and Miley Cyrus as well as a clever reworking of a Kander and Ebb number. Predominantly, they sing their own compositions with Jinkx showcasing her fabulous singing voice. She not only looks good and has impeccable comic timing but she’s a cracking singer and can belt out a tune with panache. Her persona is waspish and bitchy but not in a terrifying way. There’s an underlying inner kitten that is hiding under the bitchy exterior. Whilst the show is slick and professional it still has a dark and anarchic edge to it that is endearing.

Major Scales is not only a great writing talent and ‘straight man’ to Jinkx’s distinctly kinked woman but is also a fine pianist and singer too. This is a duo that shouldn’t be missed. Whether you’re hiding in a bunker till January to avoid all the tawdry fuss or are already humming Christmas tunes under your breath and decking a tree with glittery things, this is an endearing and funny show. Get down to the Soho Theatre for an intimate experience with one of America’s hottest drag queens.

Run at the Soho Theatre until 10th December 2016

Follow Chris Bridges on Twitter

26th November 2016
THEATRE REVIEW | The Boys In The Band – West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds

★★★★| Set in Brooklyn in the late 1960’s , nine gay men gather in an apartment to celebrate a friends birthday. Michael is an alcoholic shopaholic, Harold is a self-depreciating “Jew Fairy” (as he describes himself), Larry and Hank are a couple trying to make their differing views on monogamy fit together and Emory is as camp as they come. Throw into the mix a rather attractive, but dumb, cowboy hustler, a closeted testosterone filled ex-college roommate and copious amounts of booze and pot, and it’s not long before lives unravel, tempers fray and a cruel party game emerges.

Photo Credit – Darren Bell

This long overdue revival of Mart Crowley’s classic play is most welcome, and whilst it is no longer as shocking as it was in the late 1960’s, the relevance and impact still resonates today; as, sadly, do the undertones of self-loathing and internalised homophobia. The range of characteristics on show from the main protagonists may seem slightly cliché now, but still manage to reflect a number of the sub groups within the gay community and the issues facing them. The first act is a rather whimsical affair, as the characters arrive and you get to know them, but as the second act progresses, the narrative takes a darker turn, leading to a gripping dénouement.

The cast is strong all round, with solid performances from the ensemble, particularly Mark Gattis (Sherlock, Doctor Who) puts in an effortless performance as Harold, filled with subtlety and natural aloofness. Ian Hallard (Poirot, Doctors) holds the cast together as Michael, and James Holmes (Miranda, Psychoville) is delightful as Emory, brimming with campery and confidence. And whilst Jack Derges (Andy Flynn in EastEnders) is a vision of physical perfection, he proves he is much more than the token eye candy with an enjoyable performance as the dim witted (and mostly shirtless) cowboy hustler.

The set is authentic and beautifully detailed, as are the costumes, but even though the fashions and décor have altered, the issues raised have not; and whilst some of the social impact of the play may have lessened with time, the personal impact hasn’t, and the gay audience will recognise aspects of themselves, their peers and their experiences amongst the events of the evening.

With some sharp one liners, genuine emotion and some top notch performances; don’t miss your last chance to see this this excellent revival before it ends its run. The Boys in the Band is playing at West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds, until Saturday 19^th November 2016. See www.wyp.org.uk for details.

16th November 2016
THEATRE REVIEW | The HIV Monologues

★★★★★ | The HIV Monologues

CREDIT: Dionysis Livanis

From AIDS to PrEP: Love, Sex & HIV

If you met a moreish specimen of a man on Grindr, in Rupert St Bar or at a friend’s gatherette and there was immediate trouser-twitching, shimmies to the heart department and your thoughts turned towards naming your first pair French bulldogs – but then, after some time into this meet, said hottie informs you he’s HIV positive – do you know how you’d react?

Marking twenty years since life-saving HIV medication was introduced to the UK, Patrick Cash has penned a very real production that will send sparks to your neurons, pricking your nervous system: a trio of scenarios that are entwined together touching on the effects of HIV in the 80s up until the current day.

Alex (Denholm Spurr) – a Labrador puppy intermixed with a male cheerleader with obtuse understanding of the immune-attacking virus – struggles with the idea of being close to someone who’s positive, and barely has enough shrapnel to buy even the smallest tube of lube. The out-of-work actor gets himself into a sticky situation with the truth.

Lack of knowledge inflames fear, but understanding can provoke the guardian in all of us. Irene’s (Charly Flyte) journey nursing AIDS patients is moving and compelling. Barney (Jonathan Blake – one of the first people to have been diagnosed with AIDS in the UK) learns to live with the deficient insight with HIV in the 80s – a convincing performance.

A Thunder Looper of emotions: stigma, humour, shame and love – some well-directed tandem acting by Luke Davies – a challenging subject to cover – executed well.

Two new dates at the King’s Head Theatre as part of their World AIDS Day weekend 20th and 21st November.

8th November 2016
THEATRE REVIEW | F*cking Men

★★★★ | F*cking Men

If you’ve ever heard of the concept of ‘six degrees of separation’ then you’ll already know the theme of Arthur Schnitzel’s classic 1897 play Le Ronde. Couples copulate and the circle goes round with one-half of each couple appearing in the next scene with a new partner and the half of the first couple seen on stage appearing as one-half of the final shagging couple. Joe DiPietro’s updated version of his 2015 play features men f***ing. Lots of them. The three actors take on various roles including a rent boy, a soldier, a Hollywood actor, a married couple and a porn star. It’s a great concept and it actually works.

The dialogue is sharp and witty and the play is by turns grimy, tender and darkly comedic as well as at times, erotic. Men fumble, fellate and f*** (you’d want your money back if they didn’t, wouldn’t you?). The situations are sometimes familiar, sometimes exotic and DiPietro manages to cover a lot of pertinent issues without being dull or preachy. From the young soldier pretending to himself that having his cock sucked doesn’t make him gay to the couple with intricate rules attached to their open relationship (which, of course, they aren’t abiding to); these are situations that are bound to resonate with a gay audience.

A couple of the scenes jar slightly and there’s the odd discordant character but mostly these people feel spot on. The three actors are as talented as they’re hot. This is a feast for the intellect as well as the eyes and it’s a thought provoking and wise piece.

I’d highly recommend getting down to The Vaults at Waterloo to catch this play. David Hare’s 1998 version of La Ronde (The Blue Room which starred a naked Nicole Kidman) was famously described as ‘pure theatrical Viagra’. This is a triple dose of Viagra in a tunnel at Waterloo. Now that’s not something you get offered every day.

F***ing Men runs at The Vaults Theatre until 4th December

7th November 2016
THEATRE REVIEW | Shopping and F*cking

★ | Shopping and F***ing

What’s not to like about shopping and f***ing? They’re two fine occupations. The answer is a that there’s a hell of a lot not to like in this messy and deeply flawed adaptation of Mark Ravenhill’s 1996 play. This is a world where sex and consumerism are distinctly unfunny, painfully dull and are a chore to watch.

The play concerns Mark, a heroin addict who’s just failed in rehab, his lover Robbie and their flatmate Lulu. Emotionally deadened and reduced to seeing everything through a lens of consumerism, they’ve lost the ability to connect emotionally. Cue the arrival of Gary, a teenage rent boy who’s the victim of sexual abuse and now wants to be owned and a messy situation with a drug dealer. Events only serve to deepen their jaded worldview.

Thematically the play has become more, rather than less relevant in the 20 years since it was first staged at The Royal Court. The world feels more mechanical and glassy eyed with the rise in the usage of the Internet. The play should work as well as it did when it was first written. The problem here is that director Sean Holmes’ attempts at a clever staging have swamped the play to such a degree that it’s almost unwatchable and the script feels buried beneath a high sheen.

The Lyric has been transformed into a TV studio with a change in seating, green screens and cameras. It’s like a 90’s late night crap TV show with bouncy fake enthusiasm crossed with a surreal shopping channel. Runners appear, there are interludes where the cast try to sell tat to the audience and breaks for shameless nostalgia fests with 90’s pop music, one where Robbie gets off his face on E. It feels sloppy and cheap and not in any intentional way. Back projections of porn, scenes of rimming with associated anal bleeding, characters vomiting on stage, karaoke, audience participation, nudity, on-stage sex, drug-use, splatters of body fluid: I’d list more of the multitude of things that this production has thrown clumsily on stage but I’m starting to get flashbacks of boredom.

It feels sloppy and cheap and not in any intentional way. Back projections of porn, scenes of rimming with associated anal bleeding, characters vomiting on stage, karaoke, audience participation, nudity, on-stage sex, drug-use, splatters of body fluid: I’d list more of the multitude of things that this production has thrown clumsily on stage but I’m starting to get flashbacks of boredom.

This could have worked and could have been an arch and witty adaptation that slammed home the message of the play and emphasised the caustic wit of the piece. Instead, it just feels juvenile and tiresome with nothing to compel you to watch. It’s about as dull as spending an hour and a half listening to Gary Barlow’s monotone voice (if you hadn’t noticed, the characters are named after Take That).

Really disappointing work from The Lyric.

Shopping and F*cking plays at The Lyric until the 5th November

Follow Chris Bridges on Twitter

14th October 2016