Angry Fags

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

Date Reviewed: 05/02/2020

Review written by Cassie Cheeseman

Filled with humour, action and drama, Angry Fags is now playing at New Theatre. Featuring an ensemble cast that fills the stage, Angry Fags is a fantastic exploration of the insanity and exhaustion experienced by the LGBTIQA community in fighting for equal rights and voices in the Trump-era United States of America.

The plot of Angry Fags pivots around two room-mates Bennett (played by Brynn Antony) and Cooper (played by Lachie Pringle) in the aftermath of a violent assault inflicted on Bennett’s ex-boyfriend. Throughout the production we watch as they fight against homophobia, pledging revenge for what they deem a hate crime. Whist battling with their inner turmoil, the two are heavily involved with senate elections which serves as the second major plot for the production. We watch as Senator Allison Haines (played by Meg Shooter) competes against newcomer Peggy Musgrove (Monique Kalmar), battling media bias, electorate expectations and much more. Despite appearing as a heavily loaded drama, the majority of the play is designed in a comedic style and it would be hard to remember a time where a theatre production has received such consistent levels of laughter from the audience

The entire cast was beyond spectacular and each actor performs with passion and artistry. As a whole unit the cast shines bright and every single member is deserving of recognition. Particular commendations are owing to Phoebe Fuller who plays Kimberly Phillips, assistant to the senator and previously mentioned Lachie Pringle as Cooper. Both perform with incredible skill and talent in their task of delivering the majority of the plays’ comedic performances.

With two substantial stories running concurrently, unfortunately at times it can feel the play has bitten off more than it can chew which is reflected in the 175 minute run time (including intermission). However the phenomenal cast manages the hefty load with strong conviction and the consistent comedic exchanges makes this a minor inconvenience at best.

Occurring across several different scene locations, the production expertly utilises subtle cues to convey scene changes. Lighting (by David Marshall-Martin) and sound (by Glenn Braithwaite) for the production have both been well considered and assist with the plot movement Video projections are effectively used to continue the plot and que major developments. Costume design fantastically extends each characters personality.  

With a brilliant cast and a powerful story, Angry Fags is an excellent production which utilises humour and action to force the audience to address serious topics such as discrimination and the line between activism and terrorism.