“Are you filming?”, “Are you filming?”, “Are you filming me?”. Rob Madge may be really grateful that their loving mum and pa have been filming. Filming each eccentric self-penned, self-choreographed, self-cast and self-performed manufacturing of their theatre-obsessed son’s childhood. These dwelling motion pictures type the guts of My Son’s a Queer (But What Can You Do?)
The present has been working to sold-out audiences and common plaudits since 2021 and is again for a restricted two-week run on the Fringe for 2024.
Ultimately, Madge recreates the Disney parades staged of their front room within the Midlands in entrance of their long-suffering relations. And whereas these video clips are the premise of the play and rejoice Madge’s prodigious expertise, it’s his splendidly loving household who’re the true stars of the present.
This is the story of a mean working class household from center England and the way they navigate having a baby who doesn’t essentially conform to the norms of society. What radiates from each clip is how really cherished and fortunate Madge was. Not each non-binary, homosexual, trans or simply totally different little one had help like this. From one Granny making costumes to Gran and Grandpa handmaking a puppet theatre and all of the characters inside it to encourage their little cherished one. That mentioned, it wasn’t all plain crusing and Madge’s writing skilfully weaves as many moments of poignancy as pleasure.
While, I’m positive Madge is absolutely conscious of how humorous these movies are, he doesn’t shrink back from exhibiting how a lot of a demanding little monster he could possibly be. The tiny impresario barking orders, by no means failing to show on digital camera his disdain for his backstage crew (mum, dad & grandparents) not fairly measuring as much as his unattainably excessive requirements.
For as soon as, this can be a work that lives as much as its hype. I defy anybody to not be genuinely moved each with pleasure and heartbreak by My Son’s a Queer… It completely demonstrates, as within the lyrics to one of many songs that there isn’t any motive for issues to be “a choice of just two” – issues don’t must be simply pink or blue. There’s an entire rainbow on the market to be celebrated and this present does it completely. Unmissable.
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Runs till 16 August 2024 | Image: Mark Senior
