BODY TALK (LGBTQ+ Theatre) to Premiere At VAULT Festival

Touching three-hander that explores male body image in the gay scene premieres in the opening week of VAULT Festival.

New play Body Talk by upcoming playwright David Hendon and from LGBTQ+ theatre company Full Disclosure Theatre, is set to run at VAULT Festival, London's coolest theatre event, in January and February.

Press night: Wednesday 29th January, 8.40pm.

Following the critically acclaimed 'Open' in 2019 about a real-life gay couple and their open relationshp, Full Disclosure Theatre return to VAULT Festival with a brand new play tackling the timely LGBTQ+ issue of male body image which asks if our desire to look perfect cuts more than skin-deep.

Body Talk began as a short play titled Skin(ny), first staged at Southwark Playhouse in November 2018 as part of Full Disclosure Theatre's successful queer new writing night XPOSED. The play has been developed from a monologue into a three-hander that now addresses male body image through an expanded story and the perspective of three generations of gay men.

Carl is 21, skinny, afraid to come out and hates his body. Cameron is 30, has the classic Instagram body but can't connect with the real world. Phil is fat and 40, which in gay years feels like life is already over. Toned, fat or skinny? Bodies can be a big part of a gay man's world. But for Carl, Cameron and Phil having the ideal one matters a little too much.

Sometimes to bare all, means taking off more than just your clothes. Full Disclosure Theatre invite you to join them for a whole new reveal on a gay's anatomy.

Author David Hendon says: "Male identifying members of the LGBTQ+ community are three times more likely than hetereosexual men to have body image concerns. Pressure on how we all look has only increased with the advent of social media. This has led to serious repercussions for mental health and presents questions as to how we measure our self-esteem. I wanted to examine the underlying reasons why gay men in society feel constrained where images of perfection and idealised appearance are commonplace. The play also touches on themes surrounding age: being young and inexperienced, turning 30 and feeling your youth receding, and entering middle age and looking back at your mistakes."

Full Disclosure Theatre are a company committed to exploring queer narratives. They are passionate about discovering unheard voices within the community and their regular LGBTQ+ new writing night XPOSED reveal the naked and entertaining truths about queer life. They have enjoyed sold-out performances at Southwark Playhouse, and will be returning later in 2020.

Artistic Directors Chris Davis and Sam Luffman say: "We're incredibly excited to be bringing Body Talk to VAULT 2020. A 2012 study revealed that 48 per cent of gay males said they would sacrifice at least one year of their lives to attain the 'perfect body'. We feel there is still a lot of shame and secrecy in the gay scene about this issue so we hope to make talking about body image easier for everyone. David has written a powerful, funny and moving piece which will press a lot of emotional buttons and hopefully start some important conversations. To help with those conversations, we are partnering with Switchboard LGBT+ Helpline".

Switchboard - the LGBT+ Helpline, is a support service open to the LGBTQ+ communities and beyond, for anyone who wants to talk about gender identity, sexuality, sexual health and emotional wellbeing. They operate a telephone line, instant messaging and email service from 10am to 10pm, 365 days a year.

Tash Walker Co-Chair of Switchboard says: "We're really pleased to be the chosen charity that Full Disclosure Theatre have chosen to partner with. This show covers a number of different themes, inclusive of body image, loneliness and shame. It's so critical that we talk about these issues as a community and that we reach out to support and help those in need. That's one of the many reasons that Switchboard is here, and has been for the last 45 years."

Body Talk plays at VAULT Festival 2019 from 29 January to 2 February at 8.40pm and 1 February at 4.30pm. Running time: 60 minutes. For more information and tickets (from £14.00) go to https://vaultfestival.com/whats-on/body-talk/

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