Simon Callow: praise of Gay Sweatshop | Theatre | The Guardian

Contents:

• GAY SWEATSHOP
• SIMON CALLOW: PRAISE OF GAY SWEATSHOP
• THE GAY SWEATSHOP THEATRE COMPANY
• GAY SWEATSHOP THEATRE COMPANY
• WHY THEY JOED GAY SWEATSHOP.
• THE GAY SWEATSHOP THEATRE COMPANY
• GAY SWEATSHOP, ALTERNATIVE THEATRE, AND STRATEGI FOR NEW WRG
• GAY SWEATSHOP THEATRE COMPANY
• THE GAY SWEATSHOP THEATRE COMPANY 1974-1997

GAY SWEATSHOP

Gay Sweatshop was a gay theatre group, found 1975.

In 1975 Gay Sweatshop were ved to perform at the CHE nference Sheffield. An Arts Council grant allowed them to put together Mister X, jotly wrten by the group and based on personal experienc and the book Wh Downst Gays: Aspects of Homosexual Self-Opprsn by Andrew Hodg and David Hutter.

1 Gay History article. In the 40 years sce Gay Sweatshop was found, the world has changed out of all regnn for Brish gay women and men. Beg gay – gay, not queer, not homo, not poof nor pansy, faggot nor fairy – was now a e, a csa; we were a separate and self-sufficient subdivisn of human kd, our liv centrally predited on sire.

SIMON CALLOW: PRAISE OF GAY SWEATSHOP

And some very liberated gay men, who mostly me om Out There – those very ungay regnal and suburban hterlands – cid that maybe the theatre would be a good way of nnectg everyone up.

THE GAY SWEATSHOP THEATRE COMPANY

So Gay Sweatshop me to existence, unr the umbrella of the Amerin granddaddy of radil theatre, the alternative Diaghilev, Ed Berman, who for a season opened his ltle venue to plays by, for and about gay men and I was asked, by this to me at the time hilarly named Gay Sweatshop, to read for the part of Toby Mart Sherman’s play Passg By, I was highly sceptil. I was out, all right, to every one my circle, and joyoly rompg around the gay pleasure garns.

GAY SWEATSHOP THEATRE COMPANY

I endorsed gay liberatn wh every fibre of my beg, I believed that more and better sex was the solutn to everythg, but I uld not see the pot of this sort of ghetto theatre. I realised I had never read another play which two men have a romantic affair and never once mentn beg gay.

WHY THEY JOED GAY SWEATSHOP.

But I had no klg of what performg that play ont of a gay dience would be like. I don’t believe I’ve done anythg more rewardg or more emotnally overpowerg on any stage or any was jt a begng for Gay Sweatshop.

THE GAY SWEATSHOP THEATRE COMPANY

The women and men who ran were no slouch when me to personally fosterg the sexual revolutn, but their work was not dulgent or ivolo: reached out many directns – historilly, theatrilly, polilly – a termatn to affirm the place and existence of gay people wh society, that we’re here and we’re queer and we’ve been here and been queer for a very long time – sce rerds began. Not enough gay people knew the thgs of themselv. Once they started to wake up to all of that, then the rt of society did too, and we began to approach the better world (for gays) which we now Gay Sweatshop was a tremendo part of that transformatn attus, reachg out across the untry on tour after tour, as well as beg a remarkable theatril novator s own right, nurturg new wrers and tappg the talents of the tablished great on.

Gay Sweatshop was formed London 1975 and had s roots the lunchtime theatre club "Ambience" held at the Almost Free theatre. Inter-Actn, a -operative muny arts rource centre, staged a popular Women's season at the Almost Free theatre 1974 and, spired by their succs, advertised for gay actors to take part a gay theatre season planned for tumn 1974. The aim was to enurage gay people to produce a season of gay plays and eventually form a pany.

The tentn of the group was to unteract the prevailg nceptn mastream theatre of what homosexuals were like, therefore providg a more realistic image for the public.

GAY SWEATSHOP, ALTERNATIVE THEATRE, AND STRATEGI FOR NEW WRG

The season was lled "Homosexual Acts" and clud three plays, all of which were wrten and directed by homosexuals.

"Homosexual Acts" was origally schled to last until April but was extend to June and addnal plays were 1975 the Campaign for Homosexual Equaly (CHE) had lol groups tablished most towns. They ved Gay Sweatshop to perform at the annual nference Sheffield. Inially this was problematic as Gay Sweatshop had no rourc to put on a tourg productn.

The play was based on a batn of personal experienc and a book lled "Wh Downst Gays: Aspects of Homosexual Self-Opprsn", wrten by Andrew Hodg and David Hutter.

GAY SWEATSHOP THEATRE COMPANY

News of the tour spread quickly throughout the gay muni and the tour was seen by many whom would not have ually had the urage to attend a gay 1976 Gay Sweatshop put on a lunchtime season at the Instute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) nng om Febary through to July. The ICA season was a turng pot for Gay Sweatshop. The pany had ved the women bee they felt that lbian actors, directors and wrers were need to provi a more plete picture of homosexualy.

Although there was nsirable opposn the Irish Gay Rights Movement weled the productns and the pany returned January 1977 to repeat the plays. Durg the Christmas of 1976 the pany produced "Jgleballs", a gay pantomime starrg both lbians and gay men.

THE GAY SWEATSHOP THEATRE COMPANY 1974-1997

In 1977 two artistilly separate pani were formed unr the umbrella anisatn of Gay Sweatshop.