The Rainbow Monologues, LIVE! – Arts Bar Studio 3, Liverpool

A colourful collection of eight monologues which delve into the lives of people from all walks of life with a LGBTQ+ perspective.

Liverpool’s longest running LGBTQ+ fringe company, Grin Theatre, return for one night only with their award-winning LGBTQ+ monologues as part of the Liverpool Fringe Festival.  The Arts Bar Studio is the perfect setting for these new offerings from writer Wes Williams.

Produced by Francis Brack, we’re treated to a nice range of performances, and under Nathan Dunn’s direction, the variance in pace between the styles of presentation and themes within the monologues, or rather snapshots, avoids the potential monotony that can sometimes be found from a series of monologues.  The actors are sat positioned across the back of the stage, focused throughout the performance which creatively works in terms of the staging.  

Night, performed by watchable Christopher James, is where we meet a sex worker at the end of a busy night. We’re given a taste of a hidden world of masking were men who have sex with men, often married, seek their secret pleasure in a brothel. James’s delivery is confident, slow and sensual. You believe he holds the power over these men, but as he settles down for some “troubled sleep”, we get a glimpse beyond the self-assured bravado. James returns to perform Sam and Me, a monologue telling us of his partner, Sam leaving him for another man (a Welsh rugby player…., why not!). He then devises a plan to seek revenge via social media to trick Sam’s new man into cheating, delivering a strong speech, however the intention in James’s movements around the space was sometimes questionable.

Metro Love, performed by Katie Wellman, is full of life, describing an instant sexual attraction with ‘Anna’. Wellman brings the energy for this fast love encounter, but also could perhaps slow down the pace so we could all watch her enjoy as she imagines the arousal of Anna’s breath down her ear. Wellman also gives us Irina, captured by the advancements of an older woman in a Berlin gay bar. A stronger contrast between the two performances would have been welcomed, however, Wellman’s energy and storytelling ability was captivating and engaging. 

String, performed by Liam Murphy, is a moving and poignant story with equated delivery. It is a story of love between two men captured in Nazi POW camps during WW2. As they are torn apart there are so many things left unsaid, or unable to say. A parting gift, a symbol of their bond, is a piece of string, a representation of who they are and where they are, which Murphy wears on his wrist, a nice touch.  Old Souls, again performed by Murphy, touches on the theme of hate crime and the senseless violence against the LGBTQ+ community, which is sadly a very real, common occurrence. Most of the audience will have first-hand or know someone who has experienced hate crime because of their sexuality or gender identity. Told from the corridor of a hospital, waiting as the love of his life is treated after being brutally stabbed; there is scope here to introduce longer pauses to allow the absolute horror of the situation to sink in with the audience to fully grasp the long-lasting trauma and impact of the situation. 

Booty Boy, disowned by his religious parents, ‘Kris’ is a budding actor, a wannabe star, currently treading the boards at a gay burlesque sex club offering private dances, maybe more. Delivered by Callum Parker, who embodies the sass of a burlesque performer, the piece warranted the incorporation of some of Kris’s best tease moves as he sauntered semi naked around the stage. We were treated to a glimpse of this with the cheeky blow of the kiss at the end.    

By My Name, we meet ‘Jack’, performed by Jensen Parker. Jack tells us about his experience of transitioning and becoming proud of his blossoming beer belly.  Jack’s family, particularly his step mum Sandra, struggles to accept Jack as his authentic self and often (either by mistake or choice) continues to deadname Jack; dead naming is a cause of hurt and ongoing trauma for trans people whose family continue to use their name before they transitioned. Parker’s optimistic delivery makes us hope that the feelings of loneliness and isolation experienced by Jack are soon traded in for acceptance and respect.   

Overall, an enjoyable evening of performances, a must-see staple of the fringe, as well as the wider LGBTQ+ communities and their allies.  The power of theatre is always there to provide a platform to LGBTQ+ voices that other places in society don’t.

Reviewer: Gill Lewis

Reviewed: 12^th October 2023

North West End UK Rating: