Daniel’s Husband tells the story of couple Daniel (Joel Harper-Jackson) and Mitchell (Luke Fetherston), who appear to have a perfect life: a wonderful home, successful careers, good friends and a healthy relationship. There’s just one issue: Daniel really wants to get married, while Mitchell really doesn’t. We won’t give the game away, but a major event forces them to face the reality of the rights they do and don’t have as an unmarried gay couple. The cast is completed by Liza Sadovy playing Daniel’s mother Lydia; David Bedella as Mitchell’s agent Barry; and Raiko Gohara as Trip, Barry’s love interest.
It’s a brisk play – six scenes across 90 minutes (no interval) – and it tackles some tricky issues. What begins as a fairly simple queer comedy, focusing on two couples having dinner and lighthearted chit chat, turns into a consideration of legal rights, exploring the fragility of the lives we build, and examining how far we’re willing to go to protect the ones we love. It is at times a deeply moving play.
There are stellar performances from all the cast – the four gay men are all people we’ve met in queer social settings over the years, and we all know a well-intentioned but overbearing mum like Lydia. These are all rounded and nuanced performances: it’s a play which demands significant tonal shifts from all of its actors, and we bought into these characters and how they responded to the situations they found themselves in.
It’s not perfect: on occasion, some of the speeches felt a little contrived, as if the playwright was wanting to establish a topic of debate, as opposed to lines that sounded naturalistic. But it gets a lot right: Daniel’s Husband tells an interesting and touching story, with a thoughtful consideration of questions affecting gay men even in a world in which same-sex marriage is legal.
GAY TIMES gives Daniel’s Husband – 4/5
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