Choir The idea of Judy Garland as a global icon for gay men is one of the most familiar landmarks in post-war popular culture. It’s unlikely, though, that the theme has ever been given such a strange and comprehensive workout as it receives in this poignant, eccentric and haunting solo touring show by Encounter Productions The Scotsman Written by Lee Mattinson & directed by Jen Malarkey 9 - 27 September 2014 CHOIR is an exploration of community and companionship, hilarious and heartbreaking in turn, as one man strives to find his voice through song, storytelling and spoons. This one-man play stars North East actor Donald McBride as Francis, the reincarnation of Judy Garland who remembers every movie take and mistake from his not so distant past life. And so Francis vows to pave his very own yellow brick road in order to avoid the crippling demons he experienced as Judy. An anarchic twist on the vintage glamour of MGM musicals, CHOIR uses dark humour to ask deeper questions about what it means to be loved and our shared need to avoid the cruel chill of loneliness. CHOIR is suitable for people aged 16+ Donald McBride plays Francis with total conviction, charming us with his gentle openness, under the careful and sympathetic direction of Jen Malarkey...our attention never wanders for Lee Mattinsons writing is tight, focused and underscored with a black—at times almost bleak—humour. British Theatre Guide When a middle-aged man walks on stage in his underwear, puts on a pair of bright scarlet shoes and declares himself the reincarnation of Judy Garland, evidence may suggest otherwise, but its a provocative opening nevertheless to Lee Mattinsons solo outing about one mans belated coming to terms with who he is. The man is Francis, a spoon-playing romantic in search of true love as he moves through the back-street club scene that becomes his own yellow brick road en route to salvation fronting a local community choir. Just as Francis finds a sense of belonging, alas, a one-night encounter with a building-site worker he obsesses over before being hit with a restraining order leaves him diagnosed with Aids. Such a life and death litany is related in florid terms in Mattinsons script, which references the mundane everyday minutiae of Franciss existence in a way that resembles an Alan Bennett monologue. The Herald _______ FOLLOW LIPSapp Hits56 Radio _______ FB: r-js/1rlggeQ / TW: r-js/1us3SdS / Listen to LIPSapp Hits56 Radio r-js/1dOIQ18 #thewho #beatles #elvis #jimihendrix #dylan
Posted on: Tue, 11 Nov 2014 12:50:50 +0000
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