Cruising, Clubbing, Fucking

Choreographed by Joseph Mercier
Produced by Clara Giraud Part of the Homotopia season at Unity Theatre
Wednesday 2nd November

Reviewed by Craig Woods

Set in the post “liberation” but pre-AIDS years, before the pink pound, gaydar, grinds and gay marriage, Cruising, Clubbing, Fucking is described in its brochure as a venture into a ‘speculation from a group of gay men all born a decade or so “too late” about what gay life must have been like back then and how different, or similar it must have been from the gayness we’re living now.’

It begins with three muscular young men slowly and separately getting dressed before seemingly staring aimlessly in different directions to the accompaniment of a muffled disco bass beat. Gradually, they begin to give each other ‘gay eyes’ which eventually turns to dancing followed by kissing. The scene then suddenly switches to the club’s urinals with two of the three characters - eventually followed by the third - catching furtive and non-furtive glances at each other’s equipment before turning to the audience and proudly bearing all. The play then returns to the admixture of dancing, flirting and heavy petting that remains uninterrupted thereafter. Struggling to keep my eyes open, I was just about to enter the land of nod when a viciously rapturous applause made me realise that I could finally leave. Unable to understand what everyone else had enjoyed so much, on the way out I asked an elderly gentleman how he had felt about the show. He replied: “It was a waste of some great dancers”. Personally, I think that even that is being a bit generous but quite obviously mine is a view not shared by most.

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