Stewart Who?, Author at North West End UK

12Jan

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

Exhibitionists – King’s Head Theatre

The King’s Head Theatre holds a special place in my heart, as it was the scene of my first ever written review. In 1986, as coursework for my Drama ‘O’ Level, I travelled from the depths of sleepy Surrey to lively Islington for an experimental interpretation of Jean-Paul Sartre’s No Exit. The production was less memorable than the concept of being squidged in a room at the back of a pub with an audience brought together by existential angst. I’d not only found my people, but learned that theatre could be uncomfortably intimate, messy and weird. In 2015, I played a sexual health and drugs counsellor, in a production of The Clinic at The King’s Head. My character was based on renowned ‘chemsex’ expert David Stuart (RIP) who was also one of the show’s producers. It was a thrill to perform ...

The Motive and The Cue – Noël Coward Theatre

23Dec

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London

The Motive and The Cue – Noël Coward Theatre

The Motive and the Cue takes a moment in theatrical history that might only appeal to academics or utter luvvies and transforms it into a gripping meditation on fame, ego, art and the power of the stage. The play is a multi-dimensional window onto a 1964 Broadway production of Hamlet, directed by Sir John Gielgud and starring Richard Burton. The personal dynamics between the two actors were at best complex and often toxic. Burton was a global star of stage and screen, at the peak of his career when he asked Gielgud to direct him. Gielgud’s star was on the wane, rendered unfashionable by 1960s modernism and experimental performance. Jack Thorne’s writing is sharp, witty and peppered with metaphors. What makes this show so thrilling to watch is that a tight and clever script is in t...

9Nov

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

Beyond Ourselves – Union Theatre

Beyond Ourselves is a new piece of writing, aiming to highlight the challenges for drama graduates and ‘the obstacles they face and the drive and determination to overcome them’. This hopeful premise prompted a personal and emotional response. It’s not just my story, but the woeful narrative of most of my friends. Not only do I have a dog in this fight, my life has been nothing but a canine battle to a symphony of yaps, howls and sighs. Despite heartfelt sympathies and an abundance of experience, my expectations for Beyond Ourselves were low. The thought of giddy drama kids doing high-kicks and forlorn soliloquies sent shivers down my wizened spine. It’s entirely possible that the failures and odd diversions of my own career swayed my judgement. It was a curdled mix of grim curios...

2Nov

By Stewart Who?No Comments

London

The Interview – Park Theatre

An older lady enquired if she was, ‘in the right place for Diana’. This query occurred on the pavement, outside Park Theatre, where The Interview by Jonathan Maitland is currently enjoying its world premiere. It transpired that this woman had booked tickets for the show on the same night as her 36th wedding anniversary. Her husband had been dead many decades. She then told me that from beyond the grave, he had nudged her to choose this significant date, so that she wouldn’t be home alone and grieving. Instead, she would be, ‘on a night out with Diana. He knows how much I love her.’ In many ways, that little vignette sums up the power, legacy and impact that Diana, Princess of Wales continues to hold over the nation. She stirs up sentimentality, paranormal notions and passionate fanatici...

Bernie Dieter’s Club Kabarett – Boulevard Theatre

25Oct

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London

Bernie Dieter’s Club Kabarett – Boulevard Theatre

There was quite a buzz at The Boulevard Theatre for Bernie Dieter’s Club Kabarett. For a rainy Tuesday night in Soho, it was giddy with anticipation and high-volume glamour. The relatively new venue is named after the strip club that used to squat the same space in Walker’s Court, which itself replaced a brothel. In the ‘80s, it was a satellite for the alternative comedy scene that grew as a response to the grim reality of seemingly endless years of Tory rule. Prior to commercial success and hit TV shows, The Comic Strip and Eddie Izzard’s Raging Bull Club evolved in the original building. This slick and impressive space opened in 2019, with much excitement about its 360-degree auditorium and high-tech versatility. In a flash, it can be reconfigured from a theatre space to a live music ...

21Oct

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London

Portia Coughlan – The Almeida

There were many factors that made me giddy to see Portia Coughlan. My Irish heritage, The Almeida’s track record for uniquely dazzling theatre, an attraction to the dark side and the play’s notoriety as a ‘90s game changer. Broadly speaking, Marina Carr’s Gothic shocker didn’t disappoint, but might be prey to having a lot to live up to. Alison Oliver plays Portia Coughlan and turns out a compelling, complex performance that’s haunting, oddly thrilling and almost alien to behold. Portia is a spiky, volatile mystery to the other characters in the play and the audience who’re also grappling with her quirks. We meet Portia on her 30th birthday. She is wallowing in pain and grief, fifteen years after the suicide of her twin brother. Portia chooses to self-destruct with drink and spiteful rag...

14Oct

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London

Jock Night – Seven Dials Playhouse

A decade ahead of its arrival to these shores, I was the first journalist in the UK to write about crystal meth in the gay press. In 1997, after spending a deranged summer in San Francisco, I returned to London and in the pages of QX warned readers of a highly addictive new drug that was decimating the community on the West Coast. That same year, I wrote and performed ‘Twisted’ with Wayne G, arguably, the first ‘chemsex’ dance tune. That portmanteau had yet to be coined by the late, great David Stuart, but excessive drug use and epic sex sessions were the central themes of that record. They are also the driving forces in Jock Night, a new play by Adam Zane. Methamphetamine hydrochloride (aka ‘ice’ ’Tina’ ‘crank’ ‘meth’ ‘tweak’) took almost 20 years to get a foothold in the UK, unlike in...

Beautiful Thing – Theatre Royal, Stratford East

26Sep

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London

Beautiful Thing – Theatre Royal, Stratford East

In 1994, when Beautiful Thing transferred from the Donmar to the Duke of York’s Theatre, I bought a pair of tickets for my sister, as a gift for her birthday. She took her boyfriend. I met them after, expecting post-show joy. To my extreme distress, undiluted homophobia spilled from both parties. The following day, her partner called me at work, threatened me with violence and spat further abuse down the phone at me. A week later, the pair of them drove me from the family home. I left, sobbing, prompting a period of homelessness and a nervous breakdown. My sister dated that man for several years. To this day, the pain of that episode causes heartbreak and family conflict. Beautiful Thing led to a Very Ugly Thing that in 2023 remains unhealed and grimly toxic. In many ways, Harvey’s bril...

21Sep

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London

Operation Epsilon – Southwark Playhouse

Operation Epsilon is concerned with a niche piece of 1945 history that may potentially find a wider audience due to the popularity of recent Oppenheimer movie. Thanks to Cillian Murphy’s turn in Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster biopic, suddenly everyone has an opinion on the ethics of scientific research and the uses of nuclear fission. The play is set after the fall of Nazi Germany, as the Allies carved up the Reich and sought justice and peace for the world at large. Except, it’s never that simple. At best, war creates moral ambiguities, and by its very nature, revels in murder and destruction. Ethics become very bendy once bombs start falling. In the post-war clean up, British and American intelligence services were keen to get the lowdown on the extent of Germany’s nuclear research. ...

27Aug

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London

Candy – Park Theatre

Candy is the story of a bloke who falls in love with the drag alter ego of one of his school mates. Knowing the premise, I expected a knockabout comedy with a few torch songs and a dazzling turn from a wig-wearing man in stilettos. Drag Race meets La Cage Au Folles. It’s not that. At all. Essentially, it’s a skilfully performed monologue from Michael Waller as Will, who reflects on his life and this unlikely assault on his heart. It’s a testament to Waller’s performance that he manages to paint a vivid, emotional picture which is often quite moving, but more importantly, utterly believable. Waller is so committed to the performance that the audience can’t help but feel his pain and empathise with his predicament. Many drag performers would love to catch the eye of their straight mate...