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Is it just me, or are gay playwrights a bit of a miserable bunch? I see a lot of gay theatre, and I’ve lost count of the number of plays I’ve seen that deal with how difficult it is being gay, how difficult it is to come out, how soulless and merciless the gay scene can be, and so on, and so on. Lord Arthur’s Bed, currently showing at Islington’s Kings Head Theatre, is just one of these plays.

Perhaps it’s the gay theatrical equivalent of those books which tell lurid true tales of terrible childhoods that were so in vogue a couple of years ago, and perhaps there are people out there who enjoy being reminded of how terrible other people’s (and by association their own) lives can be. Unfortunately I’m not one of them, which meant that I found Lord Arthur’s Bed a bit of a drag.

Talking of drag, the inspiration for this show was two historical transvestites, Frederick Park and Ernest Boulton, who shocked Victorian sensibilities by masquerading as women, renaming themselves Fanny and Stella into the bargain. Writer Martin Lewton has decided to contrast their tale with a more modern scenario featuring a dysfunctional gay couple, who end up living in the house of the eponymous Lord Arthur, a friend of the aforementioned Fanny and Stella. Having found a remnant of the previous inhabitants under the floorboards, 21st century lovers Donald and Jim decide to re-enact the story, frocks and all.

It might sound like a cross dressing comedy, but there’s not a lot to laugh at here. Donald and Jim are civil-partnered, but they’re not really very happy, and poor old Jim seems to be struggling with what you might call ‘issues’. Meanwhile Fanny and Stella have a rough time with the police, end up in court and generally have to put up with a lot of stick.

So far so depressing. Even worse is the fact that the writing and direction of the show result in a messy mishmash. All of the characters are performed by just two actors, Spencer Charles Noll and Ruaraidh Murray, and their constant leaping from accent to accent and character to character is mighty confusing. Mr Murray is certainly pleasant to look at, but doesn’t quite have the skills to carry off his role. Luckily Mr Noll is much more effective, and almost saves the day with his spirited and charming performance. You’ll note that I say ‘almost’, because not even he can rescue this poorly conceived, poorly structure, pointless show.

There are two stories here. The story of Stella and Fanny is a fascinating one, but unfortunately it is so badly presented in Lord Arthur’s Bed that I left the theatre none the wiser about these two brave, pioneering figures. I learnt more about them by reading the programme after the show than I did from the play itself. The story of Donald and Jim is not interesting in the slightest, and even the predictably gratuitous nudity doesn’t spice it up much. As if to stop the audience from becoming totally disheartened, Lewton drops in a hint of happiness at the end, a kind of ‘Well maybe everything will be alright after all’ revelation in the last five minutes, but by then I for one was well past caring.
 
I am well aware that being gay is not the easiest thing in the world, but come on guys, in the UK things are changing for the better at an incredible pace. Maybe it’s time to move on from this kind of ‘woe is me’ theatre. It’s so refreshing (and rare) to see a play where gay people are just gay people, rather than victims, or nutters, or both. Come on Mr Lewton et al, give us a break from all of this bleak angst. Surely that doesn’t seem like too much to ask?

Read Our Interview With Spencer Charles Noll »
Click to read the Lord Arthur's Bed actor talk about cross-dressing, Oscar Wilde and getting his kit off.

Read Our Interview With Martin Lewton »
Click to find out more about this extraordinary play from the author himself.

Gallery

Lord Arthur's Bed, by Martin Lewton
The King's Head Theatre
115 Upper Street
Islington
London, N1 1QN
0844 209 0326 / www.kingsheadtheatre.org

2 March-10 April 2010

Interested in queer drama? Then get Out on the Stage: Lesbian and Gay Theatre in the Twentieth Century online and save some money to out towards Something for the Boys: Musical Theatre and Gay Culture.