★★★✰✰
A dark stage. A single man. Points of light. Brimming with clever production design and an engaging central performance, Steven Dexter’s revival of David Drake’s original one-man show, The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me, rides roughshod over the flaws of its script to deliver a thrilling theatrical performance.
Telling the story of one central figure’s experience in the queer community of 1980s America, the play is broken into a series of vignettes with very little connection between them. This is often confusing, and the transitions between segments seem to be stuck between the anthology style of the show and the desire to present the central figure as an engaging character. Indeed most of the play’s problems are contained within its structure, and when the play is successful it is in resisting its own muddled script.
One of the most interesting ways the production does this is through the central performance of John Bell. Bell is raucous, emotionally intense, highly physical, and utterly committed to his character. He is able to move between moments of high emotion to high dance with ease, and can portray anything from beat-style gig theatre to moments of mourning. The true success of the production is contained within Bell’s performance—the show is worth seeing just for this.
The direction, too, elevates the script. The creation of a small playing space—decked out with lights that assume significance at different moments in the play—is a clever one, echoing the feeling of a gig and always focusing us on Bell. Props are used sparingly but with care. Aaron J Dootson’s lighting design is a highlight of the show, always used to elevate the emotion on stage and in the audience. However, there is a sense of this space distancing us from the circumstances of Bell’s character, further muddying the waters as to just what exactly is going on and when. What is the significance behind using ascots to represent men in a club, for instance? And why are some transitions clearly marked with the use of a trunk and others not? Again, the production falls down when relying on the muddled nature of its script.
The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me might not be as revolutionary as it seemed in its 1994 London premiere, with time serving to expose the flaws in its script, but the production is a worthwhile one. Held together by the invigorating and exciting central performance of John Bell, coupled with neat design and directing choices, the play takes an enjoyable and emotional trip into the AIDS crisis, all wrapped in a strong hour of storytelling. If nothing else, go for Bell’s performance, which marks him out as one to watch.
Words by Issy Flower
Support The Indiependent
We’re trying to raise £200 a month to help cover our operational costs. This includes our ‘Writer of the Month’ awards, where we recognise the amazing work produced by our contributor team. If you’ve enjoyed reading our site, we’d really appreciate it if you could donate to The Indiependent. Whether you can give £1 or £10, you’d be making a huge difference to our small team.