Torch Song

Review by: Paul Towers, 10/10/19

Torch Song by Harvey Fierstein

A Bill Kenwright & Paul Mills production

Turbine Theatre, London 22 Aug – 13 October 2019

“Matthew Needham’s Arnold is an explosive bundle of regret, pain and frustration”

Torch Song Trilogy has long been a favourite go-to film of mine if I am happy or sad. It can lift me whatever my mood with its clever blend of uplifting life-affirming comedic lines or it can bring on the tears that are waiting behind the silver lining of every cloud.

Written in 1978 this is an amalgamation of three short plays, The International Stud, Fugue in a  Nursery and Widows & Children First, brought together as a 3 act play in its own right.

Set in 1970’s Manhattan Arnold Beckoff is a Jewish, gay drag queen and torch singer. He has a fractious relationship with his mother who constantly complains about being shut out of his life while simultaneously recoiling when he does share with her. Arnold’s love life is a lurch from one inappropriate man to another until he finds ‘the one’, only to lose him in a street fight.

As Arnold, Matthew Needham grabs the role by the throat and runs with it from the off. The opening monologue, almost word for word the same as the film, establishes Arnold as the neurotic, dramatic artiste that he is. Ed, Dino Fetscher, is the bisexually conflicted out-of-towner who Arnold puts up with in the end, mainly because adopted son David, Jay Lycurgo, gets on with him so well. Alan, Rish Shah, is the perfect boyfriend who gets himself killed. Then we come to Arnolds most consistent and aggravating person in his life. His Mother, Bernice Stegers. Their conflict and arguments mask their innate love for each other as they try and work out a way to be a part of each others’ lives.

It has to be said that virtually every single gloriously camp and bitchy one-liner from the film is transferred to the stage (or is it vice versa?). Aficionados of the movie will not feel short changed. The gags may not be in the same place or come from the same characters but they are mostly there.

Matthew Needham’s Arnold is an explosive bundle of regret, pain and frustration, especially with Arnold’s mother, Bernice Stegers, with whom he has some outstanding rows.

The set is a simple one and is so well designed that shifting from backstage to Arnold’s apartment is done smoothly and quickly without holding up the action.

This is The Turbine Theatre’s inaugural production and they have chosen well as it is sold out for the remains of the run (only til tomorrow unfortunately).

My only criticisms of the venue is that it is built under railway arches and trains rumble past every few minutes. Needham very early on makes a joke in character about the noise. The other problem they have is the location; it is a rather long walk from the nearest station although when you finally get there it is to find a little village of restaurants and bars.

Turbine Theatre https://tinyurl.com/y54dhy7m
http://ptheatre.blogspot.co.uk/