Deeper and Deeper ☆☆☆

Union Theatre

Most big city dwellers are faced with the horrors of having housemates at some point. The enforced intimacy, the uncomfortable accommodation of irritating quirks, and the petty squabbles. Deeper and Deeper, written and directed by Tim McArthur, explores the lives of five gay housemates, and doesn’t shirk the downsides. 

Deeper and Deeper is a character-driven piece whose most successful element is its structure. Told in slices of time that are out of order it becomes a source of realization and revelation both to the audience and its performers. Flashbacks can often feel like a gimmick or lazy writing whereas in Deeper and Deeper they subtly build layers of true understanding.

The five characters are Simon (Scott Afton) the twinkish debutante to the gay world with an accent thicker than the seam of a Cornish pasty. Paul (Stewart Briggs) is the fussy over-achiever whose success at work doesn’t translate to his personal life. Andrew (Dickon Farmer) is the drunken bully who boozes his way through his insecurities. Joe (Robert Hook) the cock juggling house slut who breaks everyone’s heart. And Louis (Hari Kanbar) the pretty Parisian who is just canny enough to keep moving up in the world.

The five actors crash through London in the 90s. Boozy nights out, messy relationships, and self-destructive behavior. The play honestly captures the narrowness of the pre-app gay world where the gays clung together in a form of community driven by necessity and circumstance. It is a world in which bitterness is an inevitability. 

For those who lived through 90s London, there is a lot to recognize. References to performers and places that made that gay scene glitter will bring out the nostalgia of a certain generation. However, there are some things that the play misses that make it hard for the audience to embrace the characters. There is no joy. There are no scenes where we see what makes it all worthwhile. We see the hangover, not the party. We see what makes the characters dislikeable and little of what would make them want to spend time with each other. It’s an artistic choice, but it makes it more difficult to care about what happens to them. Conversely, it is what makes the clever time-slipping structure so effective.

Review by ANDREW HEBDEN

Queerguru Contributing Editor ANDREW HEBDEN is a MEDIA & CULTURAL STUDIES graduate spending his career between London, Beijing, and NYC as an expert in media and social trends. As part of the expanding minimalist FIRE movement, he recently returned to the UK and lives in Soho. He devotes as much time as possible to the movies, theatre, and the gym. His favorite thing is to try something (anything) new every day”