Stage: Biggins & The Boys in the Band
Dave Lynn and the UK’s top drag stars are playing it straight, well sort of, at the Theatre Royal Brighton, Christopher Biggins explains
What brings you to The Boys In The Band ?
“I have known the play for many years and Mart Crowley the playwright is a friend of mine. It came about because Dave Lynn, one of the drag artists who will be in the play, came up with the idea and took it to Kevin Wood the producer. In talking they came up with the idea of asking me. I have done a lot of directing over the years, so it just seemed a great opportunity to direct again, a play that I love and in Brighton, a place that I adore.”
Would you have liked to be in it as well as direct it?
“No! I’m far too old for any of the parts! They should be in their 30s and 40s, the drag queens will be thrilled when they hear I have said that.”
It’s set in 1968, does it still have the same poignancy now as it had then?
“The Menier Chocolate Factory have just done Torch Song Trilogy and people are saying it’s dated, which of course it is, but there is still an audience for it.”
Surely it’s not dated but a period piece…
“Absolutely, and of course it will be interesting for a young audience to see how gay men lived. Homosexuality has been through so many stages, it was taboo to be gay, then it was fashionable, all was going swimmingly, then along came AIDS and all gay men were murderers. It was a time-bomb of awful things happening. Being gay is fashionable again.”
But at the same time there is something of a religious moral backlash.
“Well I’m not sure that it’s the whole church, if the gay priests had to leave there would be no church. I know that people want to have gay weddings legalised, but I am not worried about that; we have civil partnerships which are brilliant, they do everything except the religion. There are many important things that we need to stop, bullying for instance, that is more important.”
Does the play highlight that there are still inequalities?
“If you come away thinking what a wonderful evening but that some of the issues are still out there then that is good. It’s a very funny play, the first act anyway, then the second act turns and my goodness it becomes a real horror. Michael wants to annihilate everyone in sight but ends with nothing, the saddest character on the stage. Dave Lynn will be fantastic in this role.”
You are working with drag artistes, can you pull this off?
“I have great concerns, concerns that they will turn up for rehearsals [laughs]. The author and I spoke about this and what they have to be is actors, and they have to take it seriously. There can be no audience participation which they are used to, but I have every confidence.”
Audiences may want to heckle? Will you have to instruct them not to?
“I would never be so outrageous as to instruct an audience! The play runs in one piece for 80 minutes, then they have time for a drink before coming back to see the actors in their drag roles. They can heckle then.”
So is it like an end of the pier summer show, but with savage teeth?
“In a way, yes, I hope people who remember the play and the excellent film will come to see it again. It has so many wonderful and famous lines, lines like ‘who do you have to f*** to get a drink around here?’. Mart Crowley is undoubtedly one of the wittiest men I have ever known.”
And is this one of the great gay plays of all time?
“I think it is and recently that has been recognised. It has everything in it, great music, which they have to do things to. We gays love music; music is intertwined with our culture.”
Yes, strung around bars and discos.
“Absolutely, and then that was how and where you met people, when you were having a dance – unlike today.”
I am assuming you are not changing the period.
“No, in no way, it is of its time and it must be, where would you take it to? It wouldn’t work, and we are keeping it in New York, too.”
I have spotted that you have gone for a recession busting ticket price.
“What is the price? [laughs]”
It’s a flat £20 for all seats, first come first served, including a drink.
“Well I think we should be doing more of that, we want the theatre to be full every night and pricing it like this
is a great way of making it accessible; £20, a drink and two shows, what a bargain!”
Are you directing the second half of the show, the drag part?
“No I’m not, but I will be taking a close interest as Dave does it.”
You are obviously very excited about this.
“Yes, very – and nervous too, but I am sure that with a good rehearsal period, which we have, we will make it great. Learning lines will be the tough part, I hate it, I always did.”
When will we see you on stage again?
“Oh, I’ve given up, I’m bored with the acting; been there, done that, got the
t- shirt. I like doing odd bits but I’m happy now doing what I do.”
The Boys in the Band – The Girls in the Band, Theatre Royal Brighton, Wed 22 – Fri 31 Aug (not Monday 27), 7.30pm plus Sunday at 2.30pm, £20 (includes a free drink), 0844 871 7650, www.atgtickets.com/brighton
