Lewd and Lascivious Acts – Hope Street Theatre
Danny Partington’s Lewd and Lascivious Acts is a heart wrenching love story wrapped in an unflinching examination of the brutality experienced by members of the LGBTQ+ community at the hands of the Nazi regime. It’s 1931 and Freddie (James Sprague) and Paul (Evan Watkinson) have just met in Berlin’s famous Eldorado club. The chemistry between the actors is palpable, with Sprague’s earnest and vulnerable sincerity contrasting beautifully with Watkinson’s more flamboyant and captivating presence.
An inescapable air of dread follows Freddie and Paul as they begin their enduring romance. While they hold one another and dream of better times, the audience is ever more aware of the horrors lurking on the horizon. Partington’s script plays on this awareness to great effect, frequently honing i...