Tell Me Straight
Kings Head Theatre • 17 August - 21 August
Him (Paul Bradshaw) has a problem. He is a man magnet. Not a bad problem to have one would think, but unfortunately the men that he finds himself attracting, and being attracted to with seemingly ferocious regularity, are straight guys who are either closeted, unsure of their sexuality or just plain experimenting, and as fun as the thrill of the chase might be, it’s unsurprising that these relationships are all ultimately doomed, not to mention being a bit of a mind-fuck that leaves ‘Him’ wondering if he will ever find an ‘actual gay man who is into actual gay men!’ In recognition of his predicament he imposes on himself a 30 day abstention from ‘booze, fast food and shagging’ in the hope of breaking the cycle he is in, but temptation is never far away, and appears in the form of Matt, (a longstanding childhood friend), Ryan, (a college friend who has split from his girlfriend), as well as several other characters (all played by George Greenland)
‘Tell Me Straight’ is written by the productions lead, Paul Bradshaw, and is a refreshingly original take on gay dating dilemma’s. It’s witty, well observed and comes with a lot of heart at its core. (A few of the stories are also bizarrely close to home, most surprisingly the ‘sock’ story… no, it’s not what you’re thinking… but you’ll have to see the play to find out more). These keenly observed moments give the play plenty of potential, but whilst I’m fully onboard with Bradshaw’s talent as a playwright, his performance in this production unfortunately often fails to fully ignite, it being just a little bit too laid back. There are occasional glimmers of something altogether more spirited bubbling just below the surface, but Bradshaw ultimately seems unable to break free from his more measured approach to the character.
It’s a different story for George Greenland however, whose energy is infectious from the start, and his ability to switch between a number of different characters, all with their own individual quirks, is memorably impressive. (Made even moreso by the fact that Tell Me Straight is his professional stage debut). He slips in and out of each of his characters accents with as much ease as he slips in and out of their different shirts, and completely nails a wide-eyed innocence that the audience instantly warms to. Stephanie Levi-John also makes her presence felt in no uncertain terms despite not even appearing on stage, hers being a voice-only role which interjects throughout the play in a series of brilliant voice messages that she leaves on Bradshaw’s characters phone, commenting in no uncertain terms about his dating life and choice of men. Brimming with personality even in the absence of her physical presence, we know exactly who she is, and would all love her as that best friend who is always ready to dish-up a large slice of brutally honest advice.
Whilst the impressive lighting design, (Chloe Stally-Gibson) and sound design, (Roly Botha) skilfully transform a sparse Kings Head Theatre stage into a number of different locations, the timeline of the play gets a bit woolly at times as, despite being taken on the main characters journey through his 30 day hiatus from all things sexual, alcoholic and fast food related, this linear narrative is occasionally broken out of in order to tell stories of seemingly past hook-up’s. These occur in the strangest of places, including around a monopoly board and at an army barracks. (I should be so lucky). Alongside the thrill of these moments however, ‘Him’ must also deal with having girlfriends return into the lives of some of his encounters as well as the guilt others feel having acted on their hidden desires. Despite all of the hurdles the main character must face whilst playing the dating game, Bradshaw is able to conjure-up a very satisfying and heart-warming conclusion.
As much about friendship as it is about sexual awakening, Tell Me Straight is an impressive and inventive play with plenty of laugh out loud moments. With a slightly stronger central performance this play could have really hit a home run.
★★★
