Exactly what is the best of all possible worlds? You may well ask that question before, during and after watching the delicious Broadway operetta Candide. The focus is on the hapless titular character (Lyndon Watts), who is schooled by the ever-optimistic Doctor Pangloss (Eddie Perfect). Perfect, who doubles as the philosopher Voltaire, narrates the musical mayhem that ensues…
Imagine a sensitive drag queen – a gay man – falling for a bisexual man who has trouble with commitment and you have the starting point for Torch Song. It is a shortened, two act reimagining of the four hour plus, three act play, Torch Song Trilogy, which won the Tony Award for Best Play in…
Survival is at stake when stunning brunette Rosie (Janet Anderson) finds herself cornered in a bathroom. She is a transwoman who has had to endure a great deal and continues to do so. Above all, she has learnt to be true to herself. Bathrooms are a constant thread running through Overflow. That dates back to when Rosie first…
Imagine living your life in an endless time loop and going crazy in the process. In essence, that is what Groundhog Day: The Musical is all about. It is based on the 1993 hit movie starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell, directed by Harold Ramis. Phil Connors is an egotistical Pittsburgh TV weather presenter. He is dreading…
A murder mystery with a difference, Transwoman Kills Influencer pits four colourful and flawed characters against each other. This hardly has the niceties of the world’s longest running staged whodunnit, Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap. Rather, it is audacious in its extreme characterisations. Gender politics and prejudice play a part in proceedings. Transwoman Kills Influencer combines live action with pre-recorded…
An endearing, entertaining, humorous and poignant narrative concert about finding comfort in your own skin, The Local Lesbians are a breath of fresh air. For 70 minutes without interval, they harmonise and drop anecdotes about the pitfalls and pleasures of coming out and being out. These are three talented women of strength and conviction, accompanied by a…
Debauched aliens targeting a burlesque beauty. What could possibly go wrong? Plenty, as you will see if you venture into The MC Showroom to see They Came From Uranus. This is burlesque with a decided difference, insofar as it is adult puppetry in the form of a sci-fi cabaret. The staging is salacious and the costuming is nothing…
Starting in Georgia in 1909 and spanning 38 years, The Color Purple is based around the struggles of African-American woman Celie Harris (Fantasia Barrino). Celie and her sister Nettie (Halle Bailey), are brought up by their abusive father Alfonso (Deon Cole) since their mother died some time ago. Alfonso marries off Celie to an equally…
Set a generation after the height of the AIDS crisis, The Inheritance looks at what it is like to be young and gay in New York. It explores love and legacy and what we owe to those that came before us. At the heart of the work is the decent and caring Eric Glass (Charles Purcell),…
Electrifying rhythm, dance, drums and more, Argentina’s Malevo is mesmerising machismo. 13 artistes extraordinaire and a four-piece band hold the audience in the palms of their hands for 80 minutes. Created by director, choreographer and dancer Matias Jaime in 2015, the all-male group specialises in what is known as Malambo. That is a traditional Argentinian folk dance…
