Gypsy Queen

Review by: Paul Towers, 25/2/19

 Gypsy Queen by Rob Ward

Produced by Emmerson & Ward
with Hope Theatre Company,
directed by Adam Zane

Curve 25 February 2019

“tight, energetic and hilarious”

The latest event for DMU Pride at Curve is the award winning Gypsy Queen.

Dane ‘The Pain’ Samson is the son of a boxer, a potential champ. He is gay. All his mates at the gym know, his dad knows. But no-one talks about it so long as he is discreet. He has a regular partner, sort of, but the relationship is confined to the bedroom. God forbid they get seen in public together.

‘Gorgeous’ George O’Connell is a bare knuckle fighter wanting to go legit and become a boxer. He is beginning to realise that girls are not for him. Oh, and George is a traveller, one of the most unforgiving communities when it comes to not being straight.

When these two meet sparks fly and love blossoms.

Rob Ward has written an illuminating tale of colliding worlds played out in the most masculine of environments, the world of boxing. You can almost smell the testosterone as these two toned fighters circle each other before falling into bed together. Although there is a lot of serious fighting going on (verbal and physical) there are also a lot of laugh out loud moments, especially from Mother O’Connell, matriarch of the traveller family.

Just two actors, author Rob Ward and Ryan Clayton, swap characters at an alarming rate, switching accents and costumes sometimes merely by turning around. Director Adam Zane has created a tight, energetic, hilarious staging of a play that should be required viewing for all youngsters in all communities.

The final stop of the current tour is in Ipswich on Thursday but further information can be found at www.gypsyqueentour.com

The entire schedule of all events for DMU Pride can be found at https://tinyurl.com/ybh4n4v7
and the final show at Curve is Joan on Thursday 28 February
Fisrt published on Western Gazette