QUEERS

Curated by Mike Gattis

Directed by Steph Roberts and Jarrad West

Everyman Theatre at the ACT Hub Theatre, Kingston to February 24

 

Reviewed by Len Power 14 February 2024

 

Seated with us in a typical British pub setting, “The Prince’s Arms”, seven individuals bring to life the changing social and political attitudes of the last hundred years of gay history by relating deeply affecting and human personal experiences.

A young soldier, Perce, returning from the trenches of the First World War recollects a love that dare not speak its name. Almost one hundred years later, a groom-to-be prepares for his gay wedding. Amongst other experiences, a woman, Alice, tells of coming to terms with her husband’s closeted gay life and a young actor struggles with the impact of the AIDS epidemic. Their stories are tragic, funny, outrageous and moving.

Alexander Hoskison as Perce

Curated by Mark Gatiss, the monologues were commissioned to mark the anniversary of the 1967 Sexual Offences Act, which decriminalised homosexual acts in private between two men over the age of twenty-one. They were broadcast on BBC Four in the UK in 2017, directed and produced by Gatiss.

Karen Vickery as Alice

The ACT Hub theatre has been turned into an atmospheric British pub with a bar where drinks are available, and the audience is seated at tables with the performers positioned amongst them. There are music interludes with singer, Louiza Blomfield expertly performing songs that set the mood for each of the monologues. Blomfield changes costumes to suit each period of the show.

Louiza Blomfield as the singer

Directors, Steph Roberts and Jarrad West, have produced an emotionally charged evening in a perfect setting. They have obtained detailed, in-depth performances from each of the actors. Alexander Hoskison, Natasha Vickery, Karen Vickery, Geoffrey Borny, Joel Horwood, Patrick Galen-Mules and Joe Dinn hold the audience’s attention throughout their monologues, bringing these people skilfully to life.

At three hours, it’s a long show but a satisfying, enjoyable and memorable one.

 

Photos by Ben Appleton – Photox Photography

This review was first published by Canberra CityNews digital edition on 15 February 2023.

Len Power's reviews are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 in the ‘Arts Cafe’ and ‘Arts About’ programs and published in his blog 'Just Power Writing' at https://justpowerwriting.blogspot.com/.