Vacations are a chance to get away from it all and also an opportunity to let it all hang out. This is a very funny holiday story of gay men heading off to Gran Canaria for the time of their lives. There are enough bitchy remarks to put any self-respecting dog kennel to shame and more hilarious put downs than any staged wrestling match. However, the supposed escape from everyday life can also provide time for things that have been under the surface to be revealed and might force one to confront some previously ignored realities. Beneath all the double entendres, Alright Bitches! touches on some of the complex issues that affect gay people and particularly the questions of gay community. Acceptance can be a double-edged sword and the escape from the ghetto might also be a loss of a support system. Friends Max (Josiah Eloi) and Garth (Daniel Breakwell) have a friendship underpinned by complementary insecurities, while Ollie (Marcus J Foreman) and Jason (Wilson Armour) have an intergenerational relationship threatened by substance abuse and different attitudes about being out. All four actors do excellent jobs of presenting the nuanced truth of their characters. Beneath the brittle surfaces they expose complicated people in tangled emotional situations. Apparently just along for the ride, but actually acting as a kind of moral centre for the gang, is Pam (Jackie Pulford). While we had some difficulty with her enunciation, Pulford certainly held her own vis-à-vis the boys' strong performances. Bryan Hodgson's direction established just the right pace for the piece and David Shields' set and costume design were simply perfect. Martin Blackburn has written an extremely amusing and clever farce that keeps the audience laughing even as it may be their own weaknesses and prejudices that are being skewered. Climb on the holiday bus and enjoy the ride!
Rated: ★★★★
Reviewed by J.C.
Photo by © PBGstudios
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