Writer : Jonathan Harvey

Director : Hettie Macdonald

Reviewer : Steve Turner

The Public Reviews Rating:

Taking its title from the Peter Tatchell quote “ We’re the litmus test of whether a society respects human rights. We’re the canaries in the mine”, Jonathan Harvey gives us a marvelously ambitious two hour history trip through 50 years of male gay experience.

At the centre of the story is Tom, a chief of police, who has been hiding a secret for 50 years, a story which is now about to be broken by the press thronging outside the front door to his house. As he agonizes over how to deal with the situation we see various episodes from his life and the life of others in flashback.

From repression, persecution and aversion therapy in the 60’s, through the more politically motivated confident attitudes of the early 80’s, the impact of HIV and up to date camp celebrity the audience is kept emotionally involved. At one point the auditorium is filled with laughter which is almost instantly replaced by horror with the portrayal of the ‘treatment’ carried out in the 60s.

Philip Voss excels in the role of Tom, imbuing the character with a fine balance of insecurity and sensitivity as we watch his life unravel before us.

Paula Wilcox as Ellie ultimately brings warmth to a character that at first seems cold and unfeeling, in the dream like sequences revealing her true nature when helping an injured boy in a way she did not help her own son.

As Mickey, the confident, cocky and most definitely ‘out’ young man, Ben Allen stays just the right side of the line delivering a believable character, avoiding straying into stereotype. His is the strength that pervades the play with all of the main characters clearly being profoundly affected by him.

Trying to squeeze fifty years of life into a very short period inevitably leads to compromise and whilst cultural references abound, there is little time for the characters to develop any real depth. However with a recreation of the disruption of the 1971 Festival of Light with some imaginatively placed cast members, references to the Miners Strike and the bond that developed between striking miners and politically active gay men, and Mrs Thatcher’s infamous conversation with Norman Fowler, we are reminded that these events are real and are based on the experiences of gay men over the last half century.

An engaging, thought provoking insight into the lives of the victims of homophobia, and a tribute to those who stood up to change the system and not themselves this is a work which definitely goes out screaming.

Runs until 3rd July

Tags: Canary, Jonathan Harvey, Paula Wilcox, Peter Tatchell, Phillip Voss, Theatre Royal Brighton