Review: DUMBLEDORE IS SO GAY, Southwark Playhouse Borough

A nostalgia-lined love letter to navigating the trials and tribulations of growing up closeted, it is difficult to escape the charm that Dumbledore is so Gay casts on its audience, even if it is a little podgy in places.

Winner of the VAULT Festival Origins Award, it follows the ups and downs of Jack’s adolescence from the first untimely erection to falling in love with his best friend. Every pulse racing flicker of desire, bold kiss, and melancholic heartbreak along the often-difficult journey aches with teenage regret. 

Luckily Jack, a lifelong Harry Potter obsessive, has, by way of J.K. Rowling, a time turner, a time travelling device borrowed from the Potterverse. On paper the theatrical conceit risks schmaltziness, but writer Robert Holtman intelligently deploys it to find an irresistibly heartfelt core.

Jack returns to his teenage years, each time conjuring more confidence to overcome his fears and challenge homophobic bullies. But the path to happy-ever-after is not as easy as it seems. The message is as clear as it is important to hear: queer joy must be fought for – the importance of which cannot be understated when homophobia still plagues life for so many.

Holtmon’s tongue-in-cheek writing excels in finding moments of intimate warmth in the face of biting adversity, like wrapping yourself in a cosy blanket on a cold day. Jack discovers himself alongside a community; clandestine trips down to London’s gay clubs are a beacon of hope. Heaven is a haven, but stinging sadness returns after coming home to a family who doesn’t understand him and a best friend who refuses to accept his sexuality.

Alex Britt’s electric performance as Jack gives the play needed voltage through some uneven pacing issues. His puppy-like giddiness is infectious, rubbing off on the other cast members and the audience with whom he forms a charmingly skittish rapport. Joined by two other performers, Charlotte Dowding and Martin Sarreal, the cast skilfully multi-role through a colourful roster of characters.

Tom Wright’s sparkly but unvariegated production certainly has its moments. Despite the undeniable warmth that emanates throughout, some sections feel sluggish, plagued by visual repetitiveness and a handful of jokes that don’t land. There’s an inevitable wink at Rowling and her anti-trans views that feels more tacky than political weighty.

No doubt streamlining the script’s over-bloated final section would let it pack a stronger punch and garner a greater sense of joy.

Dumbledore is so Gay plays at Southwark Playhouse Borough until 31 August

Photo Credit: David Jenson

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