The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me

The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me follows the life of a young gay man in New York City from the early 1980s - his initial awakening to his sexuality, his coming out and introduction to the NYC gay scene, the onset of HIV/AIDS into this milieu and its denizens’ response to the crisis.

Originally a one-man show performed in 1993 by its playwright David Drake, it has also been staged as an ensemble piece and for this production, directed by Kynan Francis, two actors take the stage to effectively recapture an era of disco, carefree casual encounters and gay male solidarity. Consisting of vignette pieces which are alternately funny, thought-provoking, at times highly sensual and ultimately moving, the play provides a truthful insight into this lost time for anyone who wasn’t there and a bittersweet nostalgia for those who lived through it.

Actors Ben Hudson and James Wright not only delivered plenty of eye-candy (making good on the promise of the promotional poster), they also gave performances of intelligence, depth and compassion, as well as some laugh-out-loud moments of outrageous excess. The only jarring moment came in the final scene, postulating the inevitable future where gay marriage is the norm – the references to contemporary celebrities made clear this is a recent addition to the script, and given the rest of the play exists as a time capsule piece, this new conclusion seemed out of step, denying us an ending which was a better contextual fit.

That minor quibble aside, this well-directed and performed play is well worth seeing – for its evocative recapturing of the past, and its themes and subtexts which are as relevant as ever today.

Alex Paige