Tag Archives: King’s Head Theatre

And Tell Sad Stories of the Deaths of Queens – 4 Stars

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Stories

And Tell Sad Stories of the Deaths of Queens

King’s Head Theatre

Reviewed – 15th August 2018

★★★★

“a stunning piano and vocal set that frames the first act”

 

Seeing this passionate and surprising play by Tennessee Williams – unperformed during his lifetime – is reminiscent of a moment that happens towards the end of Russell T. Davies’ ‘A Very English Scandal’. “I can only speculate,” says Hugh Grant’s Jeremy Thorpe, referring to his relations with men before the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Britain, “but if you do know those men, George, then you know those nights and you know how those nights can end”. What follows is a snapshot of violent and volatile scenes of Thorpe picking up men, and a similar sense of threat and menace hangs over this beautiful and moving portrayal of oppressed male sexual desire by young director Jamie Armitage.

Ageing drag queen Candy Delaney (Luke Mullins) is nearing ‘her’ thirty-fifth birthday and picks up hot-headed sailor (George Fletcher) on leave for the weekend. Taking him back to her apartment, she offers him anything he wants, all at her expense, just for “some companionship”. Williams’ script is a touching and desperate back and forth filled with honest, risky confessions and financial bartering leading to a dramatically violent, yet familiar, end.

Brimming with emotion, Luke Mullins is an exceptional Candy. Starting off cool and confessional, he convincingly turns desperate and pitiful, and years of heartbreak and pain are readable in every look he gives. It’s a moving performance that makes Candy as the shows central figure so watchable. His upstairs tenants, two ‘queens’ played by Ryan Kopel and Joe Beighton, barge into the second act bringing a much-needed burst of energy, and, under Beighton’s musical direction, provide a stunning piano and vocal set that frames the first act. Armitage’s graceful use of light and colour create a beautiful pastel palette that evokes the heat and period, and choice blackouts create dread and drama at all the right moments.

For those familiar with Williams’ plays, “And Tell Sad Stories…” maintains the emotional weight of his most well-known works, and as a drama in two acts, leaves the audience desperate for more. This is just one of many ‘sad stories’, and the passions and drama on show here leave a lasting impression long after the final bow.

 

Reviewed by Joseph Prestwich

Photography by Henri T Art

 


And Tell Sad Stories of the Deaths of Queens

King’s Head Theatre until 19th August

 

 

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Riot Act – 5 Stars

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Riot

Riot Act

King’s Head Theatre

Reviewed – 31st July 2018

★★★★★

“packs an emotional and political punch that will move and inspire”

 

A powerful, emotional and rousing piece of verbatim theatre, ‘Riot Act’ is by far one of the most moving pieces of new queer writing currently being performed in London. Alexis Gregory, the creator and performer of the piece, has assembled three epic monologues from interviews with three gay men: Michael in New York, who tells of his experience at the Stonewall Riots; Lavinia from Hackney, who recounts their life on the London drag scene; and Paul, a gay rights activist reminiscing about his time on the front line.

All older gay men, these people (characters?) tell stories of amazing scope, encompassing gay liberation, the hedonistic seventies, devasting eighties and nineties, and the freedoms (or, indeed, lack thereof) that were fought for over the past five decades. Legacy and history are important to these men, and all seem impressed in the end that Gregory is taking the time to interview them and hear their stories. People simply “don’t ask”. Is there a link between strong gay male communities and an engagement with the past? ‘Riot Act’ argues there is, and that through understanding the struggles previous generations battled through we can better appreciate what we have now. Peter Tatchell is quoted in Paul’s interview, and the message sticks: vigilance, in a world where gay men still face abuse on a day to day basis (yes, even at 67!), is key. The piece is less a call to arms and more a kind reminder that communities, especially LGBTQ+ ones, are often stronger than individuals alone, and provide a necessary support network we cannot see get lost.

Gregory himself gives a startlingly punchy, grounded and virtuosic performance. Easily sashaying from character to character, a simple change of costume, voice and physicality denotes personality, and in his hands, the monologues become at once powerful, forceful and yet intimately personal. Rikki Beadle-Blair directs Gregory well, drawing out his physicality and strength, as well as the comedy within the monologues.

The impact of these stories was made all the more potent by the interviewees actually being in the audience on opening night. Bringing home the struggles and joys of older gay men’s lives, ‘Riot Act’ packs an emotional and political punch that will move and inspire well beyond it’s closing lines.

 

Reviewed by Joseph Prestwich

Photography by Dawson James

 


Riot Act

King’s Head Theatre until 5th August

 

Related
Also by Alexis Gregory
Sex/Crime | ★★★★ | The Glory | April 2018

 

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