Boys in the Buff

Christmas has come early — and what a treat.

Boys in the Buff, at Kennington’s Golden Goose Theatre, is the unexpected Christmas present I didn’t know I needed, made all the more welcome and surprising given that when I reviewed it on its first outing back in 2017 it had a rather less than successful birth, garnering only one star — from me, at least. It was a show that just didn’t work, and didn’t work on so many levels.

I’m delighted to report that this new, improved, recast, extensively rewritten and exuberantly produced revival has been around the block and back in the intervening years, and is now a joy from start to finish.

So — why is that?

Well, just as with gardening the secret lies in the soil, so with musical theatre the secret lies in the book. Not that this is a book that does a lot of heavy lifting. Truth to tell, it’s pretty flimsy, but just about sufficient.

The show is essentially a revue of over twenty songs.

Four young men and their ringleader sing of their supposed lives, loves, genitalia, body dysmorphia, hopes, and experiences. What most nearly passes for a ticking clock is the will-he-won’t-he reticence of one cast member to go the whole hog and get his kit off. Of course, there’s never any real chance that he won’t, but it’s a fun conceit to be in on, and it provides some handy opportunities for conflict.

So, what of the cast? Well… I was going to write “in true gay theatre form”, but honestly I have female friends who would love this show. So let’s say, “in true theatrical form”, there’s a bit of something for everybody.

Max Rizzo is Luca, the muscled gym hunk. It’s just about believable that he used to be overweight, but I can honestly say that none of the four boys has anything that wobbles when they move that isn’t supposed to…

Adam Norton’s Phil is the shy one, showing a certain reticence about getting his kit off — though, as one of the other cast members points out, what did you think getting a role in a show entitled Boys in the Buff would entail?

Liam Bradbury, as Richard, delivers one of my favourite songs in the show, My Foreskin and Me, about someone having foreskin reconstruction surgery.

Rowan Armitt-Brewster plays Dan as an up-for-anything Jack-the-lad, and he was certainly a hit with my section of the audience.

Everything is then held together by Tish Weinman as Maxie, the non-binary/drag-queen compere-cum-ringmistress.

Oh — and did I mention there’s audience participation? Naturally, in a show called Boys in the Buff, a member of the audience is invited onto the stage to remove an item of clothing. I seriously wonder whether they often get such exhibitionists as the audience member we were party to last night, but the chap had a great physique and clearly wanted to show it off. Not only was it virtually impossible to persuade him to remove only one item of clothing, but after stripping down to his birthday suit, he then spent most of the rest of Act Two back in his seat in the same state — save for his T-shirt in his lap, covering his modesty!

There’s great direction and choreography from Robbie O’Reilly, and finally a shout-out to Richard Lambert’s lighting, which really raises the show to a new level of theatricality and enjoyability.

Bravo all round — the perfect Christmas treat.

Golden Goose Theatre

Director: Robbie O’Reilly
Book, Music, & Lyrics: Chris Burgess
Cast includes: Max Rizzi, Adam Norton, Liam Bradbury, Rowan Armitt-
Brewster, Tish Weinman
Until:  10th January 2026
Running time: 90 minutes including 1 x 15 minute interval