New Gay Play taking London by storm

[WestEndBoy]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 11:49am

Hey you guys - wanted to make you aware of a fantastic new play about the internet, relationships and gay pride which has got everyone talking in London. It's in a small theatre in south london but is getting incredible reviews - mainly four and five stars. Gay.com have called it 'one of the best gay plays to premiere in years'.

It's fantastic - incredibly funny and very moving and with a huge political punch. If any of you are over in London you should go see it - better still there's talk of a West End transfer and someone should bring it to NYC. It would be a smash.

Dont take my word for it, check out uk.gay.com and have a look at the plays site which has photos and reviews. It stars Peter McNicholl who appeared in Guy Ritchie's Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrells:-

blowingwhistles.co.uk

I cant recommend it enough!

:)

[adamnyc]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 11:52am

Interesting- maybe it will come here

[cturtle]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 12:14pm

does this play have a TITLE?

[WestEndBoy]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 12:18pm

lol, sorry

yes, its called 'Blowing Whistles'

Details on blowingwhistles.co.uk

[Jwaa]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 3:31pm

wow the warehouse theatre is rigghht by my school, i'll definately get my arse down there with some mates!
Xxx

[WestEndBoy]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 4:57pm

U should do, its fantastic, im going to go again. Its about if gay pride and the internet and if gay people can be monogamous or not. It makes you laugh and then makes you cry, blew my socks off.

[G]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 5:20pm

Well, if Gay.com says so...
That did make me laugh. What about any other reviews in the Guardian, Times, ES or Telegraph?

[WestEndBoy]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 5:46pm

There are some other reviews on the site. The Times has reviwed it apparently and the Evening Standard say it's hysterical, will post below. I dont know why the others havent - probably because theyre being snobby about it being in Croydon. Lets face it, most gay plays in london are absolute rubbish - and I was expecting this to be but its ace. The best gay thing Ive seen in 10 years since Beautiful Thing I think. Its just a shame its in Croydon.

'a wry, perceptive and very funny take on what gay pride means'
The Times

'Controversial, sexy and very, very funny'
Attitude

'It's hard to find fault with this production… a funny, sexy and ultimately thought provoking experience. Highly recommended. Four stars'
Rainbownetwork.com

'highly engaging and remarkably astute. Many gay plays follow a highly banal format where as this is razor sharp, witty and shockingly true to life. With first rate direction from the multi award winning Phil Willmott and a highly proficient cast, this is incisive and intelligent and Todd's play is indeed worthy of praise. As a gay play it's unparalled'
South London Press

'Hysterical… show's that the gay scene can be dissected with wit and humour - the buzz around this production is deafening so booking early is advised'
Evening Standard Metro Life

The Times and Evening Standard. Thats not bad is it! Youd normally think there's more chance of the second coming of Christ in Croydon than getting any critics down there so it shows how good this is ha ha

[Avigdor]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 6:53pm

like gay.com has any taste at all they are some of the nastiest people in the world..and worse they have no taste..yuk i wouldnt take there word for anything

[WestEndBoy]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 6:56pm

OK! Wow Im getting the message about gay.com!

This is uk.gay.com and anyway, as above - loads of media are saying it including The Times (London) and the Evening Standard which is the number one London newspaper. The gay websites happen to agree which is good :) Everyone is loving it, not just gay media

Lots of love

xx

[Avigdor]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 7:04pm

yeah well i wouldnt use gay.com as a source..and the gay media as a whole isnt too reliable..you go see it and you tell us honestly what you think..here in nyc people go gaga over crap..like altar boyz..yuk that wasnt sent from heaven

[boatsintheghetto]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 7:31pm

Someone wanna AIM me with more details bout this show? Is there gonna be a recording? I wanna know

boatsintheghetto

[WestEndBoy]

Posted: 6/8/05 at 7:46pm

Hey boats

it isnt a musical, its a play - a black comedy drama with a huge emotional punch in the second act. It says on the website its being published soon...

And Avigdor, I hear what youre saying, Im just making the point that The Times and the Evening Standard and all the south London local press (all mainstream, not gay publications) are all raving about it, not just the gay press.

I have seen it and ive booked to go again tomorrow night - and its fantastic. Just wanted to make you aware of it in case anyones coming to London in the next fortnight.

im going to bed now, have a good evening

xx

[G]

Posted: 6/9/05 at 12:18am

ok, well the times quote is quite nice actually. but attitude's quote doesn't surprise me, as the writer of blowing whistles is also the assistant editor of attitude... :)

[WestEndBoy]

Posted: 6/9/05 at 9:18am

Lol

Yes that would be expected ha ha

but he doesnt work for The Times, The Evening Standard, The Croydon Advertiser, the South London press, Gay Times, Pink Paper, Theatre World magazine all of whom are saying lovely things about it. And Josef Weinberger are publishing so it must be pretty good!!!!!!!!!

[G]

Posted: 6/9/05 at 9:52am

True. Though I would have loved to see it with hot David Paisley (who they wanted originally).

You should also check out a reading of a new play as part of the Pride New Theatre Festival. It's called "Minor Irritations" and will be workshopped at the Jermyn Street Theatre on June 27 before going to the Edinburgh Festival as a full-scale production in August.

[WestEndBoy]

Posted: 6/10/05 at 1:21pm

I didnt know he was going to do it? I LOVE HIM!!!

he couldnt have been any better than the guy whos in it though - Peter McNicholl - hes a friend of Madonnas apparently - he was in Lock Stock directed by Guy Ritchie. Hes hot!

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 6/10/05 at 1:24pm

And curiously enough, featured in Attitude this month. And he's only 18.

[Caroline-Q-or-TBoo]

Posted: 6/10/05 at 2:01pm

hmm... visions of Closer to Heaven flash through my mind

[WestEndBoy]

Posted: 6/10/05 at 2:04pm

Whats Closer to Heaven got to do with it?

[Caroline-Q-or-TBoo]

Posted: 6/10/05 at 2:06pm

i'm not attacking the play... it just brings back memories of seeing Closer to Heaven, which was another gay themed play (well really musical)

[WestEndBoy]

Posted: 6/10/05 at 2:09pm

What did u think?

It was watchable but flawed I thought

NB Exscuse us New York, were having a London moment, talk amongst yourselves…

[Avigdor]

Posted: 6/10/05 at 2:13pm

glad to see you got back to us..what did you like and what didnt you like..very interested to hear a real person point of view. and i mean that very seriously.

[Caroline-Q-or-TBoo]

Posted: 6/10/05 at 2:15pm

well i enjoyed the music enough. Francis was a great billie but i agree with you, it was very flawed. some of the lyrics are groan-worthy and the book was a mess. But i love the music, which is all i have left other than the memory. I can see a lot of Closer to Heaven in Taboo. Friendly Fire is a great song and i love For All of Us. i'm constantly singing it.

i think "for all of us" is one of the best numbers ive heard on the londno stage in a while. i liked the show more than most people, and i'm not gay. what about you?

[WestEndBoy]

Posted: 6/10/05 at 2:17pm

Hey Avigdor

I was talking about Closer to Heaven being watchable but flawed

blowing whistles i thought was incredible. Its about a late twenties gay couple on the eve of gay pride day which is their tenth anniversary. They go onton the interent and get round a 17 year old for a 3 way. The first half is joke after joke after joke and is SO funny and then just when you think the second half is going to be more of the same, it suddenly turns darker. It then becomes an attack on their relationship and consumerism and the shallow superficiality of gay culture and the sex obsession in it. I cant recommend it enough, it really is fantastic. All the audience were crying their eyes out at the end - I wont tell you why but the ending is very clever and brilliantly done