Review: MY SON’S A QUEER (BUT WHAT CAN YOU DO?), Ambassadors Theatre

Photo credit: Mark Senior

A dream truly is a wish your heart makes with Rob Madge’s one person show, My Son’s a Queer (but what can you do?). Fuelled by old home videos of them performing Disney parades in their home along with numerous other home productions, the show centres around their childhood memories and moments that makes them the person they are today with the support of their loving family. It’s filled with tons of theatre references, humour, and touching truths about their upbringing. My Son’s a Queer had us, along with the whole audience, laughing (and shedding a few tears) the entire time. 

The whole design of the show is captivating, with a set designed by Ryan Dawson Laight, video and projection by George Reeve, lighting by Jai Morjaria and sound by Tingying Dong. With Madge’s home videos playing on the screen behind, the stage is set as if it was their own living room. Small touches such as the drawers that act as a seat that Madge perches on during the show, and the use of many of their own items, especially the puppets and of course, the yellow dress, made the show feel more personal to us. 

However, we can’t discuss My Son’s a Queer without mentioning the star of the show, Rob Madge. Their performance is a masterclass in everything musical theatre, with incredible comedic timing, acting through song and even a few dance moments (we loved the small Irish jig!) Accompanied with music by Pippa Cleary, the show navigates Madge’s childhood in a perfect time-frame, with details never feeling too long or short. Rob Madge proves that being ‘too dramatic’ isn’t a bad thing, and being yourself is something that should always be celebrated. 

My Sons a Queer is a must-see for all audiences. There’s something in there that touches the heart of everyone, no matter their background. The show’s message is so important, especially for the LGBTQ+ community who also loved playing in the imaginative play area as a child. It deserves all the recognition it gets and more and we hope to see it continue to grow in the future.

***** Five stars

Reviewed by: Maya Bateman

My Son’s a Queer (but what can you do?) plays at the Ambassadors Theatre until 18 March, with tickets available here.