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London Review
London ReviewF***ing Men and Naked Boys Singing
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Do you honestly think that we are meant to have sex over and over with the same person for the rest of our lives?
— Jack
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Chris Polick as Marco, James Kristian as Kyle, Nicholas Keith and Matthew Clancy as Steve (Photo: Marilyn Kingwell) |
The play opens with a GI Steve (Matthew Clancy) and an encounter in the park with John the Escort (Shai Matheson). Steve is in denial about his sexual preference and assures John he just wants to try sex with a man once. Steve is agitated and jumpy, nervous, "I’m not gay", he says, "I might die". John is much more in touch with his feelings but it is Steve who moves on to a steam room in a gym, just clad in a towel, where he meets Marco the Graduate Student (Chris Polick), while John sits at the rear of the stage looking on. Marco goes to the home of a provocative, flirtatious, Enfant Terrible, College Student Kyle (James Kristian) as a paid tutor to help him with his academic work. Marco has relationship issues and expresses these. Kyle has been onstage since the beginning of the play, surfing the net for older guys on his laptop.
Kyle meets Leo (Timothy Lone) who is in a "committed" relationship with Jack the banker (Phil Willmott). Leo and Jack have a rule, sex with another man is ok but they mustn’t see the other person again, it’s once only. Leo’s encounter puts the pzazz back in their relationship and Jack is inspired to meet Ryan the beautiful Porn Star (Adam Unze). Jack sets Ryan up in a hotel room where Ryan meets Sammy, a posing playwright (Dan Ford). Here the power relationship is not so much money as perceived artistic opportunity as the ghastly playwright spins his HIV status as "I’m HIV enhanced, HIV gifted" said without a trace of irony. Celebrity actor and married man Brandon (Stephen Billington) has a one off encounter with the playwright which turns nasty. Brandon turns to television journalist Donald (Patrick Poletti) wanting to go public with his bi-sexuality. Finally Donald completes the chain with John the Escort.
There is so much more to this piece that the subtle and played down sexual encounters which are non explicit and often take place off stage. In the course of the chain we look at fidelity and loyalty, at deception and denial, at economic factors and power games as well as HIV and the context of what it means to be a gay man in New York today. I can understand why the audience is returning to see the play again as the depth of performances, direction and writing make it a many layered work.
Showing half an hour after the end of F***ing Men is the musical revue, the London version of Naked Boys Singing! 2009. This isn’t a double bill but a separate ticketed event at £17.50 each show or a combined ticket costing £30 for both shows. Phil Willmott who directs both shows has altered the American format for Naked Boys and set the eight men within the context of a show audition which eventually requires them to take off their clothes so that they are at least partially clothed for the first three quarters of an hour. This delay stokes up the anticipation but after a few minutes you start looking at their faces again.
They sing about their insecurities and romances, fantasies and the names they give their penises, a Jewish man celebrates the Bris to Israeli song rhythms and Leigh Thompson the pianist (fully clothed) shares his adoration of Robert Mitchum. The cast are very good musical theatre singers, dancers and actors so the standard of performance is very high. My favourite song is the lyrical "Nothing But the Radio On" and for choreography the thrilling, pumping, gym set "Muscle Addiction". There are comedy songs and jazzy numbers and Phil Willmott keeps his promise that this is not a sleazy strip show but as I found it, a jokey, fun time with men in the buff. "Now you get what you paid for!" they tease the audience just as all is revealed. Unlike Calendar Girls just down St Martin’s Lane, these guys are the real thing!
| F***ing Men
Written by Joe DiPietro Directed by Phil Willmott With: Stephen Billington, Matthew Clancy, Dan Ford, James Kristian, Timothy Lone, Shai Matheson, Patrick Poletti, Chris Polick, Adam Unze, Phil Willmott Design: Nigel Hook Lighting: Peter Bragg Sound: Anthony Coleridge Running time: One hour 30 minutes without an interval Box Office: 0845 017 5584 Booking to 31st August 2009 Reviewed by Lizzie Loveridge based on 9th July 2009 performance at the Arts Theatre, Great Newport Street, London WC2 (Tube: Leicester Square) |
| Naked Boys Singing! 2009
Conceived by Robert Schrock Written by Stephen Bates, Marie Cain, Perry Hart, Shelly Markham, Jime Morgan, Dave Pevsner, Rayne Sciaroni, Mark Savage, Ben Schaechter, Rayme Sciaroni, Robert Schrock, Trance Thompson, Bruce Vilanch, Mark Winkler Directed by Phil Willmott With: Steven Butler, Joe van Haeften, Conleth Kane, Duncan Leighton, David Lucas, Adam Mendlesohn, Matthew Russell-Jones, Nathan Taylor Choreography: Andrew Wright Musical Supervision: Elliot Davies Musical Direction: Leigh Thompson Set Design: Nigel Hook Lighting: Peter Bragg Sound: Anthony Coleridge Running time: One hour without an interval Box Office: 0845 017 5584 Booking to 31st December 2009 Reviewed by Lizzie Loveridge based on 9th July 2009 performance at the Arts Theatre, Great Newport Street, London WC2 (Tube: Leicester Square) |
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