One director on why we need to see more gay female work on stage
Contents:
THE REALI OF BEG A GAY WOMAN WORKG IN THEATRE
In the first half of the 20th century, you uld be arrted for stagg a gay play. Theatr uld be packed and shows sold out, but that wouldn’t stop them om beg shut down for "obscene" ntent. * queer theatre uk *
Essentially, this was to prevent anythg cent, offensive or blasphemo takg place theatr; censorship was particularly strict on homosexualy. Attus towards homosexualy showed signs of change when the Wolfenn Report was published 1957, which remend for the crimalisatn of homosexualy. Ground-breakg many ways, Delaney’s play evad censorship and featured Geof, a gay stunt (played by Murray Melv) who liv wh protagonist Jo and helps her through her illegimate pregnancy.
This marked a change pictg gay people wh sensivy rather than as a joke or miscreant. When homosexualy was crimalised England and Wal 1967 (and 1981 Stland, 1982 Northern Ireland), Queer artists were no longer unr the threat of legal persecutn. The 1970s saw the emergence of Gay Sweatshop Theatre Company, whose aim was to unteract the prevailg perceptn mastream theatre of what homosexuals were like.
Read more about Gay Sweatshop’s fascatg history here.
From Bottoms and Problemistas to theatre mps and gay wrtlers, this summer has somethg for everyone — pecially if you're queer. * queer theatre uk *
Venu such as The Drill Hall (now RADA Stud) were dited to platformg gay, lbian and bisexual work. A wealth of work me the followg two s that fed the gay experience of HIV and AIDS wh artists such as Neil Bartlett and plays cludg Robert Chelsey’s Night Sweat, Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart (the first play about AIDS the Wt End), Ja Hood and Bill Rsell’s Elegi for Angels, Punks and Ragg Queens as well as Tony Khner’s monumental Angels Ameri.
<p><strong>Michael Billgton: </strong>The gay and lbian theatre movement has changed radilly sce the opprsive days of the 1950s, but uld more wrers rise to the challenge of ntemporary issu?</p> * queer theatre uk *
In 1988, Jackie Kay’s Twice Over was Gay Sweatshop’s first play by a Black playwright and helped raise the profile of the women’s pany wh Gay Sweatshop. 1988 also saw Gay Sweatshop’s wily celebrated play This Island’s Me by Philip Osment.
The Drill Hall ntued to be a centre for LGBTQ+ shows, cludg work om performance artists Djola Bernard Branner, Brian Freeman and Eric Gupton, otherwise known as Pomo Ao Homos (Postmorn Ain Amerin Homosexuals) – their show Fierce Love played at the venue 1992.
The turn of the century saw a ntuatn of gay plays as well as new venu specifilly ditg their programmg to Queer work, cludg Above The Stag (found 2008).
* queer theatre uk *
Prolific playwright Rikki Beadle-Blair had several plays performed here at Stratford East cludg Bashment 2005, which tackled homophobia the hip-hop scene.
- LGBT Foundatn, a natnal chary liverg advice and support to lbian, gay, bisexual and trans muni - more here.