A Fringe Encore: Em-Lou Productions presents Peter Darney's play about the gay chemsex scene in the UK. Based on interviews with real scenesters. A hit at the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe.
See it if you appreciate&are open to insight into the gay party culture/scene,relevant in any city of the world in yester-year and even more so today.
Don't see it if gay themes,nudity & the use/abuse of 'recreational' party drug consumption offends in any way.Confronting,realistic,dark yet funny at times.
See it if The sight of 5 pretty hot gay guys cavorting, drugging and self-destructing turns you on. I must admit the acting was excellent.
Don't see it if You would be morally offended(I was) by a show that secretly celebrates behaviors it criticizes on the surface. All problem/no solution.
See it if You don't mind a hard-hitting play with adult language and story lines, as well as heavy (simulated) drug use.
Don't see it if You are looking for a traditional drama and are offended by the subject matter.
See it if you're interested in LGBTQ themes, a thoughtful exploration of drug use & issues facing gay men in the UK.
Don't see it if you don't want to see nudity, profanity, sex, explicit drug use, and other disturbing content. Not family friendly at all.
See it if Engaging premise that sometimes feels a bit too confessional and dramatic for its own good. But overall it registers at fairly real
Don't see it if Don't see if you are uncomfortable with graphic sex and drug talk. Was upsetting to see some moments but that might be the point.
See it if You're interested in the London sex, party, and drug scene. LGBTQ themes. Club music. Half-naked men in their 20s and 30s. Simulated sex.
Don't see it if You're uncomfortable with all the above and cavalier attitudes on HIV and STI's. No playbill, but, you get condoms. Abrupt ending....
See it if You're gay or interested in gay topics or curious
Don't see it if You like happy endings
See it if you want a graphic documentary style parade of lifestyle choices of those in the chem sex nation with sufficient flesh, frotage & titilation
Don't see it if you are uncomfotable with flesh, frotage, titilation and frank discussion & demonstration of sexual practice, & drug usage
“This is not a gentle chilled-out ride; it’s a verbatim screaming surge of sex and drugs and won’t be to everyone’s taste. But I know people like this…This is what’s been happening in our community and is getting more prevalent, spreading further. If we don’t look at it honestly and learn about it, we won’t be ready when it hits. There’s fragility and compassion here too, the human queer soul still trying to reassert itself through a chemical rush.”
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"This is one of the most important plays this reviewer has seen in decades…This play is a revelation in how we have alienated a huge part of our own society. Every person in the play is a human being aching for recognition and validity, drugging himself in a vain effort to feel a thrill that he mistakes for a life force…This is a play every human being should see to understand the desperate need each of us have to feel we belong…Far more than an entertainment; it is a revelation."
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"A phenomenal piece of verbatim theatre. It's an original look into a drug-fueled, highly secret world of Grindr and instant gratification. It's dark, raunchy and at times disturbing, but brilliantly written and features some superb performance from a young cast…Although it attracts a predominantly gay audience, it's a fascinating yet honest insight for all of us into the chill-out, chem-sex scene that's becoming a growing problem in many cities across the globe with the LGBT community.”
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"Some may find this play challenging; its descriptions of sex acts are extremely graphic…There is some really excellent ensemble acting from a very talented group of actors…There is no moralizing or judgments, which might frustrate fans of theatrical resolutions or tidy endings…This is definitely not the show to go to if you are looking for an evening of light entertainment. A sometimes uneasy experience, but a very important one. "
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