Small Town Boys

Union Theatre • 10 Sept - 5 Oct 2024

Ahead of Tim McArthur’s new play Small Town Boys, which he also directs, the audience is treated to an impromptu drag show from Galen The Angel (or maybe it’s ‘Gaylan’) whilst waiting for the auditorium to open its doors. Once inside it will become clear that Galen is actually the cabaret act of Tom, (Nathan Taylor), with the theatrical conceit of this pre-theatre foyer show being that we are watching a performance at the Ice Palace on Fire Island, U.S.A. This would have felt an imaginative way to introduce the play had it not been the very same device used to introduce another play, Frank’s Closet, at the very same venue several months earlier, giving the evenings opening an unfortunate sense of déjà vu, whilst also not particularly adding anything to the story to have really made it worthwhile.

Once in the auditorium however, the start of the play makes a better job of transporting us to the Fire Island location with a simple but nicely realised set from Jessie Huckin. It’s here that Tom has somewhat surprisingly met fellow northerner Drew (Stuart Simons) whilst out clubbing. By the time we first see them they are falling out of the club and onto the beach, slightly worse for where wear and in need of some fresh air. Tom is on Fire Island to perform his act whilst Drew has come to celebrate his 50th birthday. As we watch the two drunkenly flirt with each other, (despite both having partners), they reminisce about the pubs and clubs they would have frequented in their youth, it soon becoming apparent that not only did they grow up in the same town, but that they had also dated the same person, Jason, (Dominic Charman), their first love as teenagers. Whilst a strange coincidence in itself, the situation is made even more surprising by the fact that they had actually both been dating him at the same time.

What follows is a catalogue of flashbacks as the two try to piece together the events that took place and how surprised they were to have remained unaware of each other’s existence, (something I also found somewhat baffling as the story unfolded). Whilst it’s an interesting premise that includes a few well-constructed moments, (like the pair almost running into each other at an amateur dramatic play that both have gone to see Jason perform in), for the most part McArthur’s writing feels heavy on exposition, (it takes quite a long time for the main thrust of the play to get going) and light on insight. There is little to no exploration into Jason’s motivation for being so intent on juggling the two relationships at the same time whilst seemingly at pains to assure both Tom, and Drew in turn, that their relationship is a serious one. Without the clarity of knowing whether it is simply Jason’s inability to commit, a case of confused emotions or just the folly of youth, his apparent devastation when one of the relationships comes to an end seems at best surprising, and at worst unlikely, bordering on nonsensical, given this had all been a situation of his own devising.

Whilst there is definitely a need in queer theatre for credible stories that include the voices of an older generation of gay men, Small Town Boys unfortunately feels more like a missed opportunity than a satisfactory response to the brief. The premise of the play is not without merit, but McArthur’s prosaic script ultimately finds itself unable to add much beyond the simple retelling of this unusual series of events which, I have since discovered, is based on a true story. Taylor, Simons and Charman certainly makes Small Town Boys a watchable affair, but there is only so much the three strong cast can do with the material, and whilst I might have expected the biggest hurdle of the play to be the decision to have Taylor and Simons play their own teenage selves against the noticeably younger Charman, it’s the script that ultimately lets the play down, lacking any truly insightful observations and in much need of some sharper dialogue and less trite humour. Rather metaphysically Drew points out at the end that, “It’s been an amazing story and would make an amazing play”, and whilst he may very well be right… this unfortunately wasn’t it.

★★★

review: Simon J. Webb

photographs: Dave Bird