ANGRY FAGS Comes to the New Theatre

A revenge story and a cautionary tale about good gay guys gone bad.

Bennett is really trying to keep it together right now. He's broken up with his boyfriend, and moved in with his best friend Cooper, and he's under the pump at work.

His boss, an openly lesbian Georgia state senator, is up for re-election. Her black female opponent is a moderate conservative who's aligned herself with alt-right fundamentalist Christians. They're locked in a tight race in which each side dog-whistles to its base and any event can become politicized in an instant.

When Bennett's ex is bashed in the car park of a gay bar, the senator refuses to label it a hate crime - because, under Georgia law, hate crimes against homosexuals don't exist.

Tipped over the edge, Bennett and Cooper embark on a vendetta of sabotage and assassinations, reasoning that if gays aren't respected enough to win equal justice and rights, fear will achieve what good intentions and politics cannot.

Whip-smart and very funny, this deliciously subversive political satire - with more than a nod to the films of Quentin Tarantino - pushes all the buttons.

For the past 25 years, New Theatre has produced a play as part of the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras festival. This year's offering is a bitingly funny satire for the age of Trump, directed by Mark G Nagle (who helmed our 2017 Mardi Gras production, f-ing Men).

"Topher Payne's satirical comedy has its finger right on the button," says Mark. "Rewriting his original script soon after the election of Donald Trump, Payne packs the play with various scenarios involving the many shades of media hungry politicos and their spin doctors, the double standards faced by women in politics, the Grand ol' Party - aka American Republicanism - rearing its ugly head in all its bigoted glory, and a murder that seems to be calling for revenge - no matter the cost."

Mark wanted to direct the play because apart from the brtilliant storyline and the fast-paced structure, he was hugely attracted to the hilarious dialogue.

"It's laugh-out-loud stuff," says Mark "and has a lot to say about society in general and the present-day machination of living under Trump.

"Although written by a gay playwright and including several gay characters this is a play for everyone. Indeed it's merely a story where the central characters happen to be gay. It is a tale about making a stand, regardless of consequence - and everyone can relate to that! Part camp romp, part thriller, it culminates in one helluva surprise ending."

CREATIVE TEAM
Cast Brynn Antony, Phoebe Fuller, Monique Kalmar,
Lachie Pringle, Meg Shooter, Emily Weare, Tom Wilson
Director Mark G Nagle
Set Designers Mark G Nagle, Marta Rodriguez
Lighting Designer David Marshall-Martin
Costume Designer Bobbi Rickards
Sound Designer Glenn Braithwaite
Vision Designer George-Alex Nagle
Assistant Director Jarryd Prain
Assistant LIghting Designer Sam Rorke
Production Manager Mickie Miller

SEASON
4 February - 7 March

PERFORMANCE TIMES
Previews Tue 4 & Wed 5 February 7:30pm
Opening Night Thu 6 February 7:30pm
Thur - Sat 7:30pm
Sun 5pm
Sat 29 February & Sat 7 March 2pm only

TICKET PRICES
Full $35
Concessions, Groups (6+) $30
Mardi Gras Members $25
Previews, Thrifty Thursdays $20

EVENT URL
https://newtheatre.org.au/angry-fags/

BOOKINGS
https://newtheatre.org.au/tickets/

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