Philip Venables

The Faggots and their Friends Between Revolutions completed its four-night run at the Southbank Centre last week to packed, lively audiences. Here is a selection of the reviews, all very positive.

“a stripped-back, intensely emotional production […] an intelligent and playful attempt at tackling a challenging subject matter” — British Theatre Guide.

“a transformative theatrical experience, blending fantasy and history in a radical fairy tale that challenges societal norms […] a must-see for those seeking a truly touching queer performance” — West End Evenings

“A mesmerising celebration of the queer experience which is both provocative and poignant.” — Everything Theatre

“A defiant representation of a liberal manifesto, the performance is a festival of self-expression and a joyous reclaiming of identity […] a show you’d want to see multiple times just to ensure you haven’t missed a moment.” — West End Best Friend

“a true gaze at otherness and the power of allies.” — Broadway World

“an absorbing piece of music theatre that both challenges and beguiles its audience.[…] a work that almost defies description. Part vaudeville, part cabaret, and infused with dance, opera, and spoken word, they have created the ultimate queer gesamtkunstwerk whose originality and daring are breathtaking […] Venables’ score requires a myriad of instruments that span several centuries. Lute songs are interspersed with the urbane accompaniment from a saxophone, a theorbo whisks us back to Elizabethan times, before we’re jolted back to the present day by rave music complete with strobe lighting. No musical genre goes unexplored. In lesser hands, this could descend into mere pastiche, but Venables is too skilled a composer to fall into that trap. His score is audacious, vibrant and challenging […] At times dark, yet often laugh out loud funny, The Faggots and Their Friends Between Revolutions is an extravagant, subversive, audacious, thrilling work that demands to be seen, as there’s still much to be learnt from this queer retelling of history.” — MusicOHM

“an Avant Garde production discussing discrimination, sexual liberty and gender diversity within the LGBTQIA+ community. […] this show offers a lot for viewers keen to experience something stylistically innovative, powerful and uplifting.” — London Theatre Reviews

“Musically it’s a delight from start to finish and the music underpins this show, allowing the narrative to glide and slip, occasionally veer off the road completely, but ever-present, ever-changing selection of musical styles and superbly played instruments brings it firmly back on track.” — GScene

Image by Camilla Greenwell.