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Blowing Whistles
Focus Theatre
Bakehouse Theatre
Thurs 20 Nov
Until Sun 30 Nov
Ah, relationships! Now there's a subject for a play. Of course, there are a host of plays that explore the dynamics of male/female relationships, but I can't think of one that tackles gay relationships - and that's not because they don't exist as some would have us believe. Hence, the Australian adaptation of Matthew Todd's successful British play 'Blowing Whistles' is attracting attention, and for good reason.
Nigel (Lindsay Moss) and Jamie (Neil Phipps) are thirtysomethings celebrating their tenth anniversary on the eve of the Mardi Gras Parade. Looking forward to a romantic evening, Jamie is aghast when Neil tells him that he has arranged a threesome via the internet with the blonde teen Mark whose on line name is "Cumboy 17". When Mark arrives, Jamie is initially hesitant, but testosterone soon prevails and a hot night ensues. However, when Nigel goes out to get breakfast and Mark comes on to Jamie, the encounter sets off a chain of events that highlight the cracks that have been forming in Neil and Jamie's relationship and the two are forced to confront whether it should continue.
The first half of the play is humour based, and Todd's British references have been skillfully adapted to the Australian idiom. The second half of the play is more complex as Jamie and Nigel battle with themselves and each other. The overall result satisfies and Todd's message that gay people grapple with issues like sex and intimacy, fidelity and trust just like their straight brothers and sisters is a positive one.
Of the cast, Phipps is the pick, although his character is given more layers by the script. Moss does well as the unsympathetic Nigel and Ringland is brave as Mark. The full frontal nudity in the play is in keeping with the characters' levels of emotional exposure. 'Blowing Whistles' has had a long run in Sydney and it's easy to see why.
Mal Byrne
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