Review: CLOSER TO HEAVEN, The Turbine Theatre
Mark Senior
Since the sad loss of Above The Stag to the LGBTQIA+ theatrical community, The Turbine Theatre has taken up the mantle of being a safe haven to experience fresh and exciting productions of queer theatre. Their most recent, production: a bold and unapologetic revival of The Pet Shops Boys and Jonathan Harvey’s Closer To Heaven, is very much here to continue that mission.
When Shell goes to visit her estranged father Vic, now out and proud and the manager of a gay club, she ends up being engulfed by the drug-fuelled hedonism of London nightlife. Shell instantly sparks with Straight Dave, a dancer who has his sights set on being a star, but when Dave meets Mile End Lee, the local drug dealer, he’s forced to question whether this inexplicably primal connection he feels means he’s as straight as he thought he was.
Set designer David Shields and lighting designer Jack Weir have transformed the Turbine’s space into a crumbling nightclub to brilliant effect. Shields achieves the perfect balance of seedy yet endearing when it comes to creating a stage for the action to unfold with a thought through use of levels and multiple entrances and exists to aid in keeping the piece moving. Weir’s lighting design perfectly encapsulates the rave aesthetic, whilst also providing elements of soft focus to capture the more insular moments. Christopher Tendai’s choreography is explosive, sensual and above all fun, executed particularly well by Cian Hughes. In a break from tradition the Turbine’s raked seating has been reserved for the bottom half of the auditorium, the proscenium dispensed with, and cabaret tables lining the sides of a thrust stage at the forefront of the space, with the tables also employing a traffic light system to alert the performers if that particular audience member wishes to be interacted with or not. Simon Hardwick uses every inch of this venue to allow the action to unfold providing strong sightlines for all audience members, which isn’t always so easily achieved in stagings such as this. He allows the explosive moments to really engulf, as well as highlighting the softer tones of the piece.
The show is chaotic, and when fully utilised that can be it’s biggest asset, however, when not harnessed it feels like it lacks control and clarity. The eruption of the second act bursting full throttle onto stage and the tightness throughout makes us feel robbed that the production’s first act in general didn’t follow as fully in that manner. The score provided by the iconic British duo: The Pet Shop Boys is fun and at moments touching, however, as soon as you enjoy them in the moment, they soon start to fade away. The sound design felt at odds with itself throughout and failed to find the balance between backing and vocal which unfortunately at times made the score indecipherable.
The buzz surrounding Frances Ruffelle’s involvement in this production was absolutely warranted. Starring as the show’s somewhat narrator Billie Trix, Ruffelle throws herself around the stage with chaotic abandon, imbuing every moment with reality, humour and connection. Ruffelle doesn’t falter in her commitment to the hedonism and art of the scene: it’s exceptional. Courtney Bowman gives a gorgeously nuanced performance as Shell accompanied by her crystaline vocals. Although a small part, David Muscat cuts through every moment he has with acerbic wit and sliminess as talent manager Bob Saunders. Connor Carson’s performance of Lee is without doubt a highlight of this production, even in moments of the absurd, he grounds everything in a natural reality and his believability never falters, his voice is solid and the chemistry he and Glenn Adamson’s Dave form is palpable.
Jonathan Harvey’s book is witty and chaotic, and although some may argue that a few arcs require more development - and they wouldn’t necessarily be wrong - he’s still created a story that challenges people’s views about the fluidity of sexuality and a wider conversation on the reliance of drugs in the queer scene, which is still as prevalent today as it was when he wrote it twenty three years ago.
The show is sexy, it’s sensual, it’s passionate. One of the biggest battles the queer community always face is this concept that they’re hyper-sexualised. What people seem to forget is that pride is a protest, it’s an unashamed, unapologetic battle for the same basic rights anyone else is entitled too. It took until 2003, two years after Closer To Heaven premiered for the victory of Lawrence V. Texas to mean that finally all laws in the US prohibiting same-sex (albeit and outdated term) sexual activity were dissolved. People conflate hyper-sexuality with the basic right to have sex and what this production of Closer To Heaven does is unashamedly displays how wonderfully evocative, freeing and touching it can be to see two men explore the sexual space without shame.
Closer To Heaven, is a fun, wild, hilarious and debauched night out, it’s just a shame the production falls short in a few areas.
*** Three Stars
Reviewed by: Duncan Burt
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