David Patterson is a very likeable person and tells the story of his life in a clever and captivating way.
This autobiographical one man show explores the many emotions that come when coming to terms with your sexuality. In this case, David is gay, in university and in denial. As he takes the audience through his first relationship and then again through another – as well as the subsequent heartbreak – an interesting discourse in introduced. What it means to be a gay man in a heteronormative society, but also what it means to be heartbroken and insecure – feelings everyone will understand.
David is relatable and witty and very entertaining to watch. With such stage presence, the audience is captivated for the whole hour.
The angle of Queen Elizabeth is an interesting one, rather ironic. Throughout the story she poses as his inner dialogue and intrusive thoughts – predominantly negative. However, in ways seemingly accurate in its representation of royalty – to never be out of line.
All the elements of production were spot on in helping the narrative, with brilliant coordination between lighting and music too. David is slick in his storytelling abilities, playing multiple roles in a conversation and skilfully changing between accents. For a second I thought his Scottish accent might have been fake and he really was a posh Southerner like his ex- boyfriend, Fraser…
Overall, a great performance, and a pleasant mix of light-hearted humour and introspective commentary.
Performer / Writer: David Patterson
Director: Ben Anderson
Running time: 60 minutes (no interval)
Review by Sofia Moran