It’s been quite a busy few years for actor Joe Locke – of course LGBTQ+ Netflix series Heartstopper has been a runaway success, and Joe has subsequently landed a role in hit Disney/MCU series Agatha All Along. Last year he made his Broadway debut in Sweeney Todd, and 2025 sees Joe’s professional West End stage debut in Clarkston, a new play by Samuel D Hunter, who is perhaps best known for writing the play The Whale – from which the Oscar-winning film was adapted.

Joe plays the role of Jake, a CostCo employee in a small American town out west. We also meet Chris, played by Ruaridh Mollica, who is one of Jake’s colleagues, as well as Chris’ mom Trisha played by Sophie Melville. We discover early on that each character is battling their own demons: Jake has Huntington’s disease which means he’ll never reach old age, and is wrestling with how he should spend his remaining ‘good’ years: Chris doesn’t have a great relationship with his family and is also clearly struggling with some internalised homophobia: while Trisha has been battling addiction for many years.

The overall tone of the play is pretty much relentlessly bleak – if you were after some lighthearted easy viewing, you’ve come to the wrong place. Our trio of characters all have numerous flaws; we see bad decisions happening in realtime, creating unpleasant tensions that are difficult to watch; and we see some quite cruel and manipulative power plays being deployed. Clarkston certainly isn’t a play that shies away from life’s difficulties.

It’s a play that touches on some interesting issues, ones that will no doubt resonate with LGBTQ+ audiences. In particular we see our characters grappling with the idea of being openly gay in a small conservative town; we also witness difficulties with opening up to vulnerability in the knowledge that it could result in being hurt. All three characters seem to be searching for some sort of meaning and purpose for their lives.

Yet something about Clarkston doesn’t quite land as it should. There seems to be a bit of a disconnect between what’s happening and how the audience is responding – we didn’t particularly buy into these characters and their stories. What was happening on stage was incredibly sad, yet we rarely felt moved by it. Everything just seems a bit too overly explained – the dialogue all feels a bit obvious. There’s also not a lot else happening besides the dialogue – it’s a very static production. The set doesn’t really change, with different spaces created through lighting and sound.

We didn’t dislike Clarkston – it’s a perfectly watchable 90 minutes of theatre – but we didn’t particularly feel moved by it either. It does shine a spotlight on some interesting LGBTQ+ conversations, which we’re always keen to see at major theatres, but beyond that there’s not a huge amount to recommend.

GAY TIMES gives Clarkston – 3/5

More information can be found here.

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We will heavily caveat this feature by advising we don’t think it would be fair to give OSCAR at The Crown a full review: we weren’t able to attend the show’s recent press night, so we attended a performance a few days later. Unfortunately, for our show, due to company illness the cast performed a reduced version of OSCAR at The Crown – more akin to a staged concert. We were still able to enjoy most of the songs and some of the choreography, but we know we weren’t getting the full experience – hopefully we’ll have an opportunity to return later in the run.

We can of course share our impressions of what we saw – which we thoroughly enjoyed. A purpose-built underground club on Tottenham Court Road, The Crown is full of London references and nods to various queer creatives – it’s a super cool venue, with a positive vibe as soon as you walk in. In the full version of the show the action will unfurl all around the audience within the venue, but for the most part our performance took place on the main stage (although a few scenes unfolded on the dance floor).

So what exactly is OSCAR at The Crown? It’s a new musical – it made its debut in New York a few years ago and had a short stint at the Edinburgh Fringe festival before opening in London earlier this summer. The subject matter is rather unusual – it’s (sort of) about the life and times of Oscar Wilde, but there’s a lot of crossover with the Real Housewives series and various references to Julie from The OC. It doesn’t make a huge amount of sense – and given that Wilde’s life story is actually quite interesting, we’re not convinced that these additions were necessary – but it’s an enjoyable enough narrative nonetheless.

The music is the real highlight here – there are some great songs (by Andrew Barret Cox, who is also responsible for the choreography and costume design) and the performers in this show are absolute powerhouse vocalists. Jan Sport (of Drag Race US fame) currently leads the cast – and Jan is a superb singer and wonderful host – but it’s very much an ensemble piece. Everyone can really hold their own and the harmonies absolutely sparkle. We’re aware we only saw a glimpse of the choreography, but what we saw was truly impressive.

We had a great night with OSCAR at The Crown: it’s a fun new queer musical in a cool venue. At time of writing there’s a ticket offer (all tickets £25) – we’d have gladly paid that for the reduced version of the show we saw, so we expect the full show for that price is an absolute steal.

More information can be found here.

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An important note about Entertaining Mr Sloane: it was first staged back in 1964 and gathered quite a reputation for itself, quickly building a cult following. It’s easy to see why – it portrayed a story involving homosexuality at a time that it was still criminalised; and the various subject matter touched upon throughout the play (rape, murder, violence) would all have been rather more taboo on stage than they are in 2025. So how does this revival at London’s Young Vic Theatre hold up today?

Truth be told it does feel a little tame. At the centre of the story is the titular Mr Sloane, played by Jordan Stephens (of Rizzle Kicks fame) making his professional stage debut. He takes advantage of both the lonely Kate (Tamzin Outhwaite) who has a spare room in her house and is looking for a new lodger, and also Kate’s businessman brother Ed (Daniel Cerqueira). We’re sure the idea of Sloane getting the much older Kate pregnant, while simultaneously designing to run away and start a relationship with her brother, would have been rather scandalous in the 1960s, but it doesn’t seem so provocative today.

So it has lost some of its shock value – Jordan Stephens is better at bringing out the comedy in the role rather than the sinister side, which probably doesn’t help proceedings – but we should also note that Entertaining Mr Sloane remains an amusing show nonetheless. It’s a dark comedy, and many of the jokes still stand up – there are a handful of laugh-out-loud funny one-liners over the course of the evening. Tamzin Outhwaite’s character is a little one-dimensional, but she’s good at bringing the humour out.

We would also note that we found the show a little imbalanced: originally written as a three act play, it’s been condensed into two, which means that the second act now feels as though it’s overstaying its welcome (we did find ourselves checking our watches a couple of times) – it does seem to drag somewhat in comparison to the brief and punchy first act. It’s a bit of a shame really, as there are some promising moments here: a little tightening up of act two, and a bit more work to unearth Mr Sloane’s more sinister undertones, could have turned an enjoyable show into an excellent one.

GAY TIMES gives Entertaining Mr Sloane – 3/5

More information can be found here.

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The Land of the Living tells an absolutely fascinating story: the play opens in 1990, when Ruth (Juliet Stevenson), a former UN relief worker, is visited by Thomas (Tom Wlaschiha), who had been a displaced child in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War. We don’t stay in 1990 for long, however: most of the play is set in 1945, with Ruth recounting her memories of what happened after the war was over. We establish quickly that Thomas had been in Ruth’s care as a young boy during that period, and he is now in search of answers.

It feels like a timely and urgent story to be told, and brings to mind the treatment of children who are being displaced by war (in Ukraine and Gaza) in the present day.

It also shines a spotlight on the Nazi regime’s ‘Lebensborn’ programme – an attempt to steal children with seemingly perfect features from neighbouring countries and have them adopted by German families, in order to create a ‘perfect’ Aryan super race. Ruth’s UN team uncovers evidence of the scheme and they suddenly find themselves in a moral dilemma – should these children remain with the families that raised them, or return to their parents who they may not have known for many years? Not to mention the Herculean task of reuniting families across borders, at a time when record keeping wasn’t what it is today.

Juliet Stevenson is, of course, absolutely fantastic and utterly compelling to watch – in a typically nuanced performance, we see her genuinely grappling with the dilemmas the play presents. It’s an ensemble piece and most of the supporting performances are strong, although we felt on occasion the play did revert to stereotypes – in particular the American and Soviet soldiers that are encountered along the way seemed a bit one-dimensional. It all looks and sounds great – the set and sound design both impress throughout.

We enjoyed our time with The Land of the Living, although we would likely have enjoyed it more if it were a little shorter. It runs to nearly three hours, with the second act starting to feel like it drags towards the end. It’s still well worth a visit, though – the story it tells is genuinely captivating and there’s some wonderful acting in here, too.

GAY TIMES gives The Land of the Living – 4/5

More information can be found here.

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Henrik Ibsen’s classic 1888 tale The Lady from the Sea comes back from time to time, though there hasn’t been a major London revival for a fair few years now – well, until this week. Writer and director Simon Stone has brought his updated reworking to the Bridge Theatre with some big name talent – we have Oscar-winning actress Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl) as Ellida, and playing opposite her as husband Edward is Andrew Lincoln (Love Actually). Ellida finds herself in a love triangle when her former flame Finn, played by Brendan Cowell, unexpectedly returns.

There is an awful lot going on in the story: we learn early on that Ellida has recently had a miscarriage, and also that Edward’s previous wife died by suicide. Additionally we’re introduced to Heath (Joe Alwyn), a distant cousin of the family, who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness in his late 20s. So much is happening that at times it’s hard to keep up, though it does make for some gripping, compelling theatre. The acting is strong and really drew us into its world – we felt invested in each story and interested to see how things would turn out.

Set in a lovely house in the Lake District, the family at the centre of the story live a charmed middle-class life, with long conversations in the garden over expensive wines. It’s a much more contemporary setting than Ibsen’s original, with the family members facing modern moral dilemmas: daughter Asa (Gracie Oddie-James) comes under fire for her plan to fund her intended PhD at Harvard by running an OnlyFans account. We learn that Finn got into some trouble as an eco warrior, protesting against a new oil rig.

At its heart, of course, are the same themes that run through many of Ibsen’s plays – the roles of men and women, and specifically the autonomy (or lack thereof) that Ellida has. She may have the illusion of freedom but we see the amount of control that both her current and former lovers exercise over her. We also explore the issues faced by the two daughters and the various power imbalances in society.

We enjoyed the show very much, although we would note that we preferred act one to act two. The first half of the show relies entirely on its gripping narrative – the conversations being had, the ideas being explored – while act two deploys quite an array of impressive set-pieces, which do make for some theatrical “wow” moments, but also become somewhat distracting after a while. It doesn’t spoil the show, but does feel a little unnecessary. On balance, though, it’s still very much an enjoyable evening of theatre, one that presents some compelling ideas in a thought-provoking way.

GAY TIMES gives The Lady from the Sea – 4/5

More information can be found here.

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Who doesn’t love a good reunion show? Back in 2017, the London Gay Men’s Chorus travelled to Amsterdam for a joint concert with the Amsterdam Gay Men’s Chorus, called Together. Eight years on from then – and to mark the 10th birthday of the Amsterdam Gay Men’s Chorus – the two groups will be reuniting for a new concert, Together Again!, which is taking place at Conway Hall in London later this month.

The show promises to be a celebration of friendship, community and joy, bringing together gay, bi and queer men from these two cities which both have fierce and fabulous LGBTQ+ histories.

Amsterdam Gay Men’s Chorus chair José Luzardo said: “In our 10th anniversary year, we’re honoured and excited to be joining the London Gay Men’s Chorus on stage for this joint concert. Our chorus brings together gay, bi and queer men from more than 30 countries, and they all share a love of music, dance and having a place to be themselves. Taking a trip across the North Sea to perform with our LGMC friends represents a big milestone for our chorus, which has grown considerably since we first performed together in Amsterdam in 2017. We can’t wait to perform this uplifting programme together!”

London Gay Men’s Chorus chair Martin Brophy added: “So happy to join our voices in song and celebration with Amsterdam Gay Men’s Chorus – together again, stronger together.”

The Together Again! concerts, hosted by drag artist Matron, will take place at Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, London on Saturday 27th September, with performances at 4pm and 7pm.

Tickets and more information can be found here.

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Following his acclaimed debut at the venue with Notes & Riffs On Love alongside The Luke Bacchus Trio, lead West End actor and singer Cameron Bernard Jones (Ain’t Too Proud, RENT, Play On!) will return for a new solo concert, featuring a broad repertoire ranging from classic musical theatre tunes to American spirituals and original poetry.

He will be joined by pianist, composer and writer Guillermo Nazara, also returning as the show’s music director, following his 2023 debut in There Is Nothing Like A Dame, starring Peter Cummins.

The two LGBTQ+ artists will join forces for a double-feature performance of their show Wondering Soul scheduled for November 3rd, 2025. The show will feature songs by some of the most celebrated composers from both Broadway and the West End, with a bonus original song written by Guillermo Názara especially for the occasion.

Cameron Bernard Jones said: “I am so excited to be back to the Crazy Coqs after the warm welcome Notes & Riffs On Love was received with. This is such a personal concert for both Guillermo and me, and I just can’t wait for people to experience all that we have in store — it is truly going to be a magical night!”

Guillermo Názara added: “Cameron and I have been discussing the idea for this concert for over a year now. I’m so exhilarated that it’s finally happening. It’s an extraordinary repertoire, which added to his incredible voice, is just simply going to wow everyone.”

The concert will be held on November 3rd 2025 at Crazy Coqs at Brasserie Zédel in London, with performances at 7pm and 9:15pm. Tickets and more information can be found here.

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We’re sure many will already be familiar with The Producers – Mel Brooks’ classic comedy film which subsequently became a huge hit musical – but if you’re not, here’s a quick summary: it tells the tale of an ageing, failing Jewish theatre producer who takes financial advantage of sex-starved old ladies to raise the funds required to stage a queer musical about Hitler. It’s a recipe guaranteed to offend pretty much everyone, yet there’s a reason why this story has endured for the best part of 60 years: this delightfully subversive satire is utterly hilarious.

A brief caveat: the original film dates back to 1967, so unsurprisingly some elements are showing their age. For example, there’s very little in the way of female representation – Joanna Woodward plays Swedish secretary Ulla, which is the only lead role for a woman in the show, and it’s a somewhat one-dimensional part (albeit played brilliantly for laughs). The Producers is very much a man’s story, which does make it feel somewhat of its time, given the increase in diversity and representation we’ve seen on the stage over recent years.

The cast in this production – initially staged last winter at the intimate Menier Chocolate Factory, and now enjoying a West End transfer at the much-grander Garrick Theatre – are all absolutely fantastic. The central pair of aforementioned producer Max Bialystock (Andy Nyman) and his accountant Leo Bloom (Marc Antolin) – who becomes Max’s unlikely business partner when he realises more money could be made from a deliberate flop than a successful show – is excellent; they have a wonderful chemistry and both bring an infectious energy to the stage.

Absolutely stealing every scene, however, is drag artist Trevor Ashley in the role of Roger DeBris, the worst director on Broadway. His queer take on the Führer is quite something to behold; his arrival on stage is one of funniest reveals we’ve seen in years.

The creative team really shines here, too. Lorin Latarro’s choreography is hugely impressive; the routine for “Keep It Gay” is an absolute riot. Scott Pask’s set designs are fantastic, and Paul Farnsworth’s costumes are completely outrageous.

We could go on and on about director Patrick Marber’s revival of The Producers, but all you really need to know is that it’s absolutely wonderful, and a complete joy from start to finish. In these turbulent times we could all do with a good laugh, and this production is just the ticket.

GAY TIMES gives The Producers – 5/5

More information can be found here.

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Following its debut in Birmingham last year, Here & Now – the new musical based on Steps’ back catalogue – has embarked on a UK tour, opening last week at the Manchester Opera House. You’re probably already familiar with the songs – Steps’ music has been a staple of many a queer night and pride event for the best part of three decades – but what is the show all about?

This new musical – book by Shaun Kitchener, directed by Rachel Kavanaugh – is set in an English seaside town, with the action largely unfolding in a supermarket called Better Best Bargains (we see what they did there)… or more specifically in and amongst aisles 5, 6, 7 and 8 (we also see what they did there).

We’re introduced to co-workers and besties Caz (Rebecca Lock), Vel (Jacqui Dubois), Neeta (Rosie Singha) and Robbie (Blake Patrick Anderson). At the opening of the show, it is two weeks until Caz’s 50th birthday; the quartet decide that they are going to use the two weeks productively, and make a pact to finally sort their love lives out. Cue two hours of being pushed outside of their comfort zones, with each character taking a chance on their own respective happy ending.

It’s not the deepest or most profound show, but then we weren’t expecting that. What Here & Now does very effectively is blend the every day with occasional moments of emotional depth; with the supermarket setting and the very ordinary dilemmas our characters find themselves in, it feels a bit like watching a soap – perhaps unsurprising, given that Shaun Kitchener has been a regular writer on Hollyoaks for the last few years.

Like any jukebox musical, the narrative has been written to fit the songs – in other shows this often feels somewhat forced, but for the most part it works here. Sure, one or two tunes are bit shoehorned in, but most of the time the lyrics work well with the story. The highlight is undoubtedly the truly inspired use of tender ballad ‘Heartbeat’; it’s reimagined in an entirely different light (we shan’t spoil it here) which provides the show’s most poignant moment – it’s really rather moving.

Speaking of the songs – what absolute bangers they are! Of all the back catalogues to choose, Steps’ music really lends itself well to a musical: they have countless upbeat tunes and plenty of choreography ready to go. Choreographer Matt Cole has done a fantastic job reimagining these iconic routines – it’s far from simply a copy/paste job, although there are plenty of references to the original moves in there. Highlights include the absolutely ridiculous ‘half price hoedown’ that accompanies ‘5, 6, 7, 8’, which we thought was one of most outlandish sequences we’d seen on stage until we witnessed RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star River Medway fronting a rendition of ‘Chain Reaction’, which is camper than any Rusical episode we’ve ever seen.

Each member of the cast absolutely holds their own, though we wanted to draw attention to Rebecca Lock in what is effectively the lead role of Caz – the musical hinges on her story, and she handles the majority of the lead vocals. Her voice is surprisingly reminiscent of Claire Richards – which of course works very well here.

We had a great time with Here & Now – no, it’s not high art, but were you expecting that from a jukebox musical based on Steps songs? We were expecting a fun, feel-good and fabulous night out, and that’s exactly what we got. If you’re a fan of Steps, or if you just fancy a hearty dose of escapism right now, this is the show for you.

GAY TIMES gives Here & Now – 4/5

Here & Now is touring the UK until May 2026; more information can be found here.

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There’s a lot of hype surrounding Born With Teeth, Liz Duffy Adams’ new play, which opened this week at Wyndham’s Theatre – which is unsurprising, given the high-profile casting.

This two-hander stars Ncuti Gatwa (Doctor Who) and Edward Bluemel (Killing Eve) as rivalling playwrights Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare – referred to as Kit and Will respectively – who have decided to collaborate on the writing of history play Henry VI. We witness three sexually-charged writing sessions unfold in the back room of a pub, against a backdrop of mounting political tension in Elizabethan England.

Ncuti Gatwa lights up the stage: he has such a commanding presence that at times it feels a little like the Ncuti Gatwa show. Playing the flamboyant, flirtatious and feisty Kit, he prowls around the stage in an eye-catching leather two piece ensemble; whether he’s writhing around on the table, brandishing his oversized quill in an extravagant manner, or making an advance (sometimes sexual, sometimes violent) on his collaborator, we found it difficult to take our eyes off him.

For the most part Edward Bluemel puts up a good fight – sometimes literally – although the part he has been given is much more low key. The chemistry works well and it’s interesting to see the relationship between the pair develop over the course of the play, especially as we witness Kit’s shining star beginning to fade just as Will’s starts to grow brighter.

Johan Persson

We did have a couple of minor issues. While Gatwa’s Kit is a lot of fun, after a while we did yearn for a little tonal variety: a huge number of his lines are sexual advances, or some other sort of innuendo, usually with a wry smile. It’s amusing for sure, but we’d have liked something more substantial. On that note, the play as a whole feels slightly thin – it clocks in at less than 90 minutes and the conclusion is somewhat abrupt. Don’t get us wrong, it still provides a hugely enjoyable evening, but we’d have preferred a little more substance here.

We enjoyed our time with Born With Teeth – the story it tells is compelling and it makes for an interesting watch. It may not be a comedy, but there are some terrific lines in here, and the game of cat-and-mouse these two play throughout helps keep things exciting. And, of course, it’s always enjoyable to see queer stories being told on the West End stage – more of this, please.

GAY TIMES gives Born With Teeth – 4/5

More information can be found here.

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