We are fans of the Seven Dials Playhouse, the cosy 100-seat theatre nestled in Covent Garden, in the heart of London’s West End – it’s an intimate space which regularly programmes new queer works. This week, we went to check out Daddy’s First Gay Date, from Mancunian playwright Sam Danson (his previous show BI-TOPIA received rave reviews last year) which is directed by the award winning Rikki Beadle-Blair.
When we see queer lives portrayed on stage (or film or TV) it often focuses on white, middle-class, privileged experiences – so this play feels very much like a breath of fresh air. The trio we meet are working class folk with ordinary jobs from the northern town of Chorley. We meet 30-something Ben (played by playwright Danson) who has just come out as bisexual and ended his 15-year relationship with Helen (Megan Edmondson) so he can explore his sexuality. We also meet Ben’s potential new love interest Tim (Dior Clarke).
The play explores some interesting issues over the course of two hours – while this is predominantly Ben’s story, we are afforded a few snapshots into the impact on Helen of Ben’s decision to end their relationship, and how this affects her life. Tim, as a black man living in a small town, experiences double discrimination in the form of racism and homophobia. We also learn he’s a recovering addict, an issue quite prevalent within the community. If we’re being honest we’d have liked to have explored these in more detail – they’re all interesting issues which aren’t often afforded the airtime they deserve.
The show is enjoyable but we felt the balance was slightly off. For the most part the focus is on Ben, and while we gain a few insights into his journey of self-discovery as he navigates the queer scene, much of the runtime plays out as a surprisingly formulaic rom-com: it’s mostly a will-they-won’t-they love story with Tim, and it feels a bit predictable. The play touches briefly on more exciting and interesting topics, but always reverts to a formula that feels a little pedestrian.
Don’t get us wrong, we enjoyed our time with Daddy’s First Gay Date – it’s a perfectly entertaining way to spend an evening, it tells a story with a lot of heart and Danson sure knows how to write a joke. It just feels like a missed opportunity – this is a show that will tease its audience with a really great, exciting idea before reverting to safer material. With a bit of fine tuning this could be something wonderful.
GAY TIMES gives Daddy’s First Gay Date – 3/5
More information can be found here.
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