The world of chem-sex among the nocturnals of Canal Street might seem an unlikely subject for a play, but writer / and director Adam Zane has crafted a surprisingly enjoyable piece of theatre.
The scenes take place in 'Daddy' Ben's flat over the course of six months, where a group of addicts attend weekly Jock Nights at JOCK nightclub in Manchester. Jock Nights are an actual thing, where guys dress down in just jock straps to dance, cruise and have random sexual encounters with each other, many fuelled by an entire alphabet of recreational drugs, some of which we have never even heard of frankly. It's here we discover under the duvet covers that Ben is having a great night with self confessed twink 'AJ' and sharp tongued Kam, chem-sex addict who reserves his awe for reports of Coronation Street's Barbara Knox seen shopping in Sainsburys! Into the fray come Russell, who is quietly in love with Kam and latterly porn star Hunter alias Simon from Sydney. As the rotating door of players and their physical and emotional connections with each other intensify, the play becomes a melting pot for secrets and behavioral excess.
The cast are uniformly excellent in selling this morality tale to the audience. David Paisley is the bear, an older Daddy figure making up for lost time spent in the closet. Eddie Ahrens summarises the slightly annoying bitch who railroads everyone into more extremes and is obsessed with seedy dating apps, James Colebrook gives Russell a more reserved and quietly troubled demeanor. Gabriel Clark sparkles as young 'AJ', new to the chem-sex scene and on the cusp of an alternative lifestyle and finally real life Australian gold meal Olympic diver Matthew Mitcham, having swapped careers and is now quite at home as the porn star Hunter, perhaps ready to settle down with his Daddy, but still craving the highs of Jock Night. Kudos to the guys for performing much of the play dressed in little but underwear, and sometimes less, and being able to convey the highly charged sexual atmosphere with choreographed moments, which never overwhelm the disturbing nature of the substances that fuel them.
Naturally, there has to be a price to pay for extremeism, and there is. But we won't spoil it here. The effects and dangers of the drugs are spelt out in various scenes, but thankfully it is done with wit and sharp dialogue which provide many laughs throughout the piece, a scene involving the painful removal of a metal cock ring for example had a few of us wincing!
The play walks a fine line between educating and entertaining, with the balance just about right, at the end of the play we don't know whether world weary Ben is walking away from Jock Night or is resolved to carry on, but I guess that is the dilemma for many involved in the scene, particularly as the ageing process becomes involved. These snapshots into the dark and the light of five men, all using Jock Night to mask real life neuroses, is sobering and joyous. The play deserves a wider audience and hopefully will get one. Bravo to Hive North, Hope Mill and Seven Dials Playhouse for bringing this brave new work to a sold out theatre.
Rob & Ian
More information can be found at the
HIVE NORTH website
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