Review: A Farce For A New Age, THE HOMOSEXUALS OR 'FAGGOTS' Is Both Hilarious And Enlightening

Wednesday 22nd March 2017, 7pm, SBW Stables, Kings Cross

Reviving a genre for a new era, Declan Greene's THE HOMOSEXUALS OR 'FAGGOTS' presents a farce where the taboo is less being caught in a compromising position but rather being caught with a compromising opinions. Using the cover of comedy to create a roaringly funny experience, this work focuses on the complexities of LGBTI+ identification, race, relationships, and prejudice to challenge thoughts and ideas.

Greene's work, directed by Lee Lewis, looks at the life of cis male gay couple consisting of the more mature and successful Warren (Simon Burke) and the younger, somewhat ditzy but very pretty Kim (Simon Corfield), who seemingly "have it all". Whilst an opening scene sees the pair recounting the events of a night at the theatre and the subsequent late night dinner where they consider a traditional English menu item as a personal slur, the performance is dominated by the night of Sydney Mardi Gras, sometime after the restaurant incident. Warren has been hired by the fit and handsome, if somewhat vapid and naïve, Lucacz (Lincoln Younes) for a high end photography shoot where Lucacz will be the model. Warren's lust is evident and he'll do whatever it takes to impress the young, apparently straight model who has possibly the best abs seen on a Sydney stage, even if it means outright lying. As Kim returns home from a conference early, the chaos commences as Warren needs to hide Lucacz while they worry about Warren's impending interview with the easily offended trans social media celebrity Bae Bae (Mama Alto). Added to the mix are Warren's trans best friend Diana who constantly clashes with Kim, and a mysterious opportunistic junkie Pam who looks remarkably like Bae Bae.

Lewis has created a fabulously funny expression of Greene's play which draws the audience in to feel like a fly on the wall as the drama unfolds. From the initial scene where the fourth wall is broken as Warren and Kim treat the audience as their friends listening to an anecdote to the proximity to the intimate apartment designed by Marg Horwell. Highlighting the ridiculousness of Sydney's housing affordability, Horwell's white apartment, save for the plants and a few bold surfaces, crams a multipurpose living room below what the audience is led to believe is a loft sleeping area. There are a multitude of doors and storage spaces to allow plenty of slapstick physical comedy and hiding spots.

All five performers work together to deliver a hilarious performance. Burke and Corfield lay the 'camp' stereotype on thick, easily out-flouncing a flight attendant while Lemon gives a deliciously butch display as the trans Diana and Younes captures the ambiguity often seen in young, apparently straight, men these days. Mama Alto captures both the zeal of the ever protesting activist on the look out for any sign of discrimination and the spaced out nature of a rather ocker druggie on the hunt for more possessions that can be pawned for a hit. There is a fabulous physicality to the work from the nuanced individual movement such as Kim's mincing in heels and Pam's street wise casualness. Across the board, emotions are conveyed well, both through Greene's text and the expressions that have faces like Mama Alto allowing Bae Bae to infuse more intent in a glare than any words could ever manage. There is also a delightful freshness to the performance where it's hard to tell if the ridiculousness of the situations has also overcome the performers, bringing the audience further into the experience.

THE HOMOSEXUALS OR 'FAGGOTS' is a thoroughly delightful, fun night at the theatre regardless of prior experience and understanding of the LGBTI+ community. For someone that sits on the periphery with friends in that identify but not being fully conversant of various terms, this is also an interesting, educational piece highlighting the challenge of appropriate language that exists in not just the LGBTI+ community but also with regards to race and background. Whilst mainstream media focuses more on the offensiveness of broader terms directed at people and discrimination, this work also raises the awareness of the complexities of ensuring that people are correctly addressed and respected, all packaged in a lighthearted modern day farce.

THE HOMOSEXUALS OR 'FAGGOTS'

SBW Stables, Kings Cross

17 March - 29 April 2017

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