Gavin Roach Returns to Sydney with MEASURE OF A MAN for Sydney Fringe
By: Rebecca Russo Jul. 27, 2016
Gavin Roach, who is proving himself to be one of Australia's most prolific and celebrated writer/performers, is back in Sydney Measure of a Man - the second instalment of his Anxiety trilogy, showing at New Theatre in Newtown for the Sydney Fringe Festival in September.
How do you measure a man? How much of that measure is in the way he walks, the way he talks? How important is sex in the measurment of a man? What if that man is gay? What if that man is gay and can't have sex?
How do you measure that man? The critically-acclaimed Gavin Roach, returns to his hometown of Sydney, for his first show here in 3 years, for the 2016 Sydney Fringe Festival with Measure of a Man. Following on from Roach's hugely successful first show in the trilogy, I Can't Say The F Word, Measure of a Man will lift the lid on Roach's own fears and insecurities via a series of expertly crafted vignettes, as he explores what it takes to be a gay man in this millennial age.
Told in Roach's always humorous, raw and deeply candid style, Measure of a Man will stare into the heart of one man's sexual anxieties and pull out the kinds of stories much LGBTI theatre shies away from - stories often shrouded in embarrassment or shame. Roach uses this play to open up important discussions on such topics. Of the themes in Measure of a Man Roach says;
"There have been many times when I have spoken with others about or after the show and they suddenly become wide eyed and say, "I thought I was the only one." I don't think my story has any more gravity than anyone else's, but if it gets people talking, then I don't see that as a bad thing."
Gavin Roach has been a powerhouse of one-man theatre since 2011's smash hit Confessions of a Grindr Addict. Since then Confessions of a Grindr Addict and Roach's other shows Any Womb Will Do and I Can't Say The F Word have celebrated sold out seasons as well as hugely successful national and international tours. Roach's newest show, The Measure of a Man was originally presented as a part of the Midsumma Festival in Melbourne earlier this year to high critical acclaim.
Along with the experience of 5 solid years of successful one-man shows, Gavin Roach holds a Bachelor of Arts (Acting for the Screen and Stage), a Bachelor of Arts (Acting for the Screen and Stage, Honours) from CSU as well as a Masters in Arts Management from UTS, and 2015 saw Roach further his education, moving to Melbourne to commence his Masters in Writing for Performance at VCA. As a result of this combination of practical experience, education and a bucket-load of guts and talent, Roach's style has developed into a confident and dynamic one that weaves evermore intricate and beautiful tapestries with each new show.
Measure of a Man is a perfectly-balanced blend of comedy and drama - from light-hearted and uproariously funny moments to gut-wrenching dark moments that expose the scars and open wounds that still remain, hidden underneath the glitter. Measure of a Man is unmissable - if there is a show in this year's fringe festival that will enchant, enlighten and exhilarate in equal measure it is Gavin Roach's Measure of a Man.
Critical reception of Measure of a Man at 2016 Midsumma Festival:
"the performance is always strong and the explicit reflections on sexual meanderings are extremely insightful"- Stage Whispers
"an excellent piece of work, which highlights Gavin Roach as an artist to watch"- The Australia Times
The show plays 13 th - 18 th September 2016. For tickets go to:
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