3.5 STARS
Before 1967, homosexual activity in Britain was a criminal offence. In 1954 there were 1,069 men in prison for this “crime,” and some had been coerced into chemical castration, notably war-time codebreaker Allen Turing (as seen in The Imitation Game). It is against this backdrop that The Pride charts the development of homosexuality in society by following the relationships between Sylvia, Philip and Oliver, in part set in 1958 and in part set in 2008. Whilst in the reality of 1958 Philip and Oliver long for each other whilst Philip is unhappily married to Sylvia, in 2008 Oliver and Philip can be together but struggle against the societal pressures around them.
Directed by Laura Jane Bateman and produced by Aneesa Kaleem, The Pride does an excellent job of juxtaposing the sexual reservation of the past with the sexual liberation of the present. The choice to stage the play in the round was bold, but was done commendably well. The play was full of excellent directorial touches: from the performers who sing era-appropriate songs in the foyer prior to the performance, to the ingenious lighting design. In particular, a moment of startling sexual violence was conveyed on stage in a harrowing yet remarkably respectful way, with a strong lighting design and excellent performances conveying the full horror of the act without making it explicit and voyeuristic.
The actors were strong, particularly in their more emotive moments. I felt that the actors were particularly engaging in the 2008 reality, where their effortless naturalism showcased the natural chemistry that Arnaud Lacey (Oliver), Chris Sharp-Paul (Philip) and Ella Hiscocks (Sylvia) had. This is not to say that the 1958 era performances were not strong – indeed, some of the plays most dramatic moments were present in this period – but the focus on RP accents did at time stifle the emotion of moments, as I sometimes felt the actors fell into a very particular rhythm in their speech and pauses which remained relatively unchanged.
Portions of the dialogue suffered with high levels of artifice, with the actors saying lines that seem completely unnatural to human speech and more in keeping with a political debate, as though they were human evidence rather than human beings. However, this didactually work to the play’s benefit in the 1958 reality, as the clipped language was in many ways made more powerful by what was left unexpressed, which added weight to when their desires were directly expressed.
At a time where the man who has been elected Vice President of the United States is a man who can openly believe in the effectiveness of conversion therapy on homosexual adolescents, The Pride is an important play to see. It is an effective and inspiring evening of theatre that challenges you as an audience member to keep on fighting for the people you love.
Edited by: Jess Greaney
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