You may or may not have heard of Naked Boys Singing, but regardless if you have or not I think you can get a sense of what this show is about! This musical revue originated Off-Broadway and was still running before the closure of theatres. This show has run in London before but it returned at the beginning of this year at the Kings Head Theatre, after a very short run due COVID and a couple of cast changes, the show makes its return to the Garden Theatre.
After a successful launch with
Fanny & Stella and
Pippin, Naked Boys Singing is part of their ‘Eagle Late’ season. As I have said in previous reviews, this venue really are going above and beyond to ensure the safety of their customers and to create a safe but still enjoyable and beautiful evening.
Knowing that the piece itself is over 20 years old and with the obvious nudity in the show, my initial thoughts were that it was going to fall into the boring cliché gay theatre that is more about selling tickets to see naked men than thinking about its duty to the LGBTQ+ community. Unfortunately, this is quite common in this sector however times are changing and with this adaptation of the piece, it's certainly a step in the right direction for a better representation of gay men in theatre.
Don’t get me wrong, the piece itself is slightly dated. Its premiere was in 1999 so naturally there would be some parts that may not be relevant anymore, however, director and choreographer Carole Todd manages to bring it into 2020. With small changes to the book and lyrics to update it and a cast that represents today's gay male, the piece doesn't feel out of place in our current day. There is still a lot of room for the LGBTQ+ community to be truly represented properly in theatre but what the creative team has done with this show is a very good start.
