The Stage

Sugar Snap

Published Monday 1 October 2007 at 13:55 by Scott Matthewman

Promoted as a play to recognise the 40th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality, Alex Cooke’s new work manages to shoehorn in many cliches of gay theatre without ever really rising above them.

The generally weak cast frequently stumble over lines in a manner that suggests neither hesitancy nor infirmity on the part of the characters, but under-rehearsal or lack of confidence. This often renders character dynamics painful to endure, especially between photographer Frazer (David McGillivray) and his ageing war veteran father (Donald Elliott).

The notable exception is Alec Parkinson who, as the young man that reminds Frazer of his long-departed unrequited love, is in a different league to the rest of the cast. That they visibly improve when he is on stage is a measure of his ability.

The script does occasionally display elements of wit and well-observed comedy, but for every good piece of dialogue there are several that seem trite. One cannot help feeling that the advice Frazer gives to his young student - to help improve his art, he needs to focus and be confident in his artistic decisions - is a lesson that this production needs to apply to itself.