Afterglow at Belvoir Street Theatre

Griffin Theatre Company presents Afterglow a tender musical rom-com from Purple Tape Productions penned by the brilliant Sheanna Parker Russon and Lillian M. Hearne.

Afterglow follows the bi-annual Barbershop Singing National Championships, where the men gather for the traditional “afterglow”. Whisky flows, dickie-bows are loosened and quartets sing booze-soaked harmonies into the small hours.

Then, at the 2012 afterglow, Michael meets Tom. One is a barbershop purist with something to prove. The other is a first timer with a messy suit, a bass voice and a quietly radical outlook: Why aren’t women allowed to sing at barbershop competitions too?

Over eight years, their heated debate turns tender, sweet and complex as the two singers journey through their twenties and encounter some major awakenings. But barbershop has rules, both musical and social. And as Michael and Tom change, so might their place in the chorus.