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Searching undeterred: The Gift @ParkTheatre

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I recently had a few parcels go missing from where I live. The first parcel disappeared without a trace. The second parcel's contents were removed, and the box was left alone in the lobby. It's one of the things that you have to put up with living in central London. Apart from complaining to the delivery company and filing a police report, it crossed my mind to think about what would happen if I sent myself something rather unpleasant for a future parcel thief to open up. Well, Dave Florez's new work, The Gift, is in this line of thinking, except that the lead receives an anonymous gift of a turd in the mail rather than sending it to himself. It is lovingly gift-wrapped in a cake box from a posh north London bakery. It's a fascinating and hilarious three-hander currently playing at Park Theatre .  Colin (Nicholas Burns) is a little obsessive at the best of times. He doesn't let things drop quickly and is obsessed with the details behind anything and everythi...

Looking back at islands in the stream: San Domino

San Domino, a new musical inspired by a BBC news story about Mussolini's persecution of homosexuals by sending them to an island paradise, concluded a short run as part of Arcola's Grimeborn series celebrating new opera this summer.

What could have been a fascinating and almost comic story about the stupidity of the fascist regime - sending a group of men to an island where there are only other gay men - is told a little too earnestly and drearily in its current form.


It is a pity as there is no doubt a terrific story lurking there about men who were removed from their communities to an island paradise, at a time when being gay was not even recognised in Italy and relationships were different than they are today. It would be difficult to call the piece an opera, and while the music is at times clever and interesting, it does not assist in setting the scene or capturing the period or the place.

Here is hoping the piece can be reworked as it has potential. The Grimeborn series continues through to early September at the Arcola.

Below is clip from the initial workshop at The Courtyard Theatre.


 Photo credit: Charlotte Hopkins

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