Gay life - and, well, the relationship ‘process’generally - can be so shallow. Whether single looking for ‘the one’ to give you what you want - in any way - resorting to dating or ‘hook up’ apps, or pursuing a straight relationship even though it doesn’t make you happy or feel fulfilled but having fantasies and turn-ons, we all yearn for something more and possess that desire to feel needed, wanted, loved.
Presented by 1974 Productions, written by Ian Townsend, All The Bens by has received much acclaim at theatres across the North West, winning the Manchester Theatre Award for Best Fringe, the Audience Favourite at the 24:7 Festival, and the Vicky Allen Memorial Award presented by Equity, and it isn’t very hard to see why. With a stunning cast of three - Ben (Adam Jowett), Al (Tom Sidney) and Henry (Deane Dixon-Foster) - and brilliantly simple, in fact minimal, set, this story follows the aforementioned blurb as we witness the highly-relatable struggles of loneliness, desire, sexuality, abuse, fetish, obsession, as well as the feeling of misplacement in society or a community and denial.
Put simply: openly out gay Ben -who also acts as the narrator - likes Al. ‘Straight acting’ Al (not his real name) claims to be straight and rejects the fact that his love for seeing people in physical pain and its effects - often leading him to visit A&E to peoplewatch - and love for the male anatomy make him gay (or bi). Ben is single and looking for soemone to make him happy long-term and Al has a girlfriend but the guys talk on a chatroom and meet up but, not keen on being stalked by a gay man, Al decides he just did it as an escape, a release, “a relief to get rid of the tension”. Ben pesters, well persists, and, besotted with his new find, tries to see Al as often a he can, even introducing him to his half-brother Henry who has Asperger’s(?) and likes the number 7. Al likes Henry, but not in that way and gives him his telephone number, something he wouldn’t do for Ben.
Each of the guys are brilliant, executing the well-written script beautifully with such naturalness and chemistry, making them extremely likeable, but Dixon-Foster’s portrayal of Henry is to be commended the most - he is superb. The blocking and continuity is meticulous and effective (I loved how the performers just appeared on stage for the start out of the blackout). Each of them has struggles to contend with but, perhaps most strange and powerful is that of Al’s compulsion with seeing people injured, so much so that the irony, from the audience's perspective, of his part in involving himself in an abusive battering of Ben, is painful.
As far as we know Henry is straight but that may be because one of his workers at ‘the place’ told him that he might get what Ben has. He is very intelligent but literal and struggles to understand the most trivial things but also tries to understand Ben and what makes him tick.
It's a hugely emotive piece exploring areas that just need to be talked about and raised awareness of, you must not miss any opportunity to see it, even multiple times. Despite the tropical conditions weatherwise, the heat didn’t distract from the concentration and enjoyment but the plot does make you wonder “who would ever choose to be gay?” and enhances that fact of acceptance and that “nobody should be beaten up for who they are”.
Reviewer - John Kristof
on - 25/7/19
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