Effigies of Wickedness (Songs Banned by the Nazis) at the Gate Theatre ☆☆☆☆ Once the Nazi regime took power in 1933, it required a registry of all German musicians and as a result, hundreds of talented composers had their work deliberately suppressed and careers ended simply because their race or style of music offended … Continue reading
COCK ☆☆☆ & 1/2 The Beverley PLayhouse, Los Angeles The Beverly Playhouse was the perfect intimate space for an intriguing revival of Mike Bartlett’s award-winning play COCK that was first produced by The Royal Court Theatre in London in 2009 Cock involves a main character, John (Miles Cooper) one half of a gay … Continue reading
Margaret Thatcher was really a man in drag. This was a popular (pre-internet) accusation leveled at the former British prime minister. Contemporary cultural representations also pitched her as a fella. Spitting Image, the phenomenal satirical TV show that ran throughout the 80’s, portrayed her in a man’s pinstripe suit & tie – the … Continue reading
This Island’s Mine ☆☆☆☆ Kings Head Theatre, London The year is 1988; Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher reigns supreme; Section 28 has been brought in (which decrees local authorities shall not intentionally promote homosexuality) and HIV/AIDS hysteria begins to take hold. Against this backdrop, seventeen-year-old Luke (nicely played with all the fresh faced fizz of youth … Continue reading
FALSETTOS ☆☆☆☆ THE OTHER PALACE THEATRE, LONDON This revival of the two-time Tony Award winning Falsettos is a truly funny but poignant examination of the dynamics of an alternative family revolving around the life of a Jewish gay man Marvin (Daniel Boys), his wife (Laura Pitt-Pulford), his lover (Oliver Savile), his soon to be bar … Continue reading