Writers: Roann Hassani McCloskey, Joel Samuels, Emile Clarke, Lucy Roslyn and Ishmael Kirby
Bet’n Lev Theatre’s artistic directors, Roann Hassani McCLoskey and Joel Samuels developed the show with the other cast members in response to “queer people’s erasure from ancient history”. Using the cultural heritage of some of the cast members and some more broadly known legends, they set out to create a show that puts LGBTQIA+ figures back into their proper place in mythology.
They centred the show around stories from the West African and Assyrian cultures of two cast members, using the story of Scheherazade as a framework to link the stories and give a loose structure to the performance. In just over an hour the five actors depict 30+ characters in a fluid, impressionistic style, using storytelling, movement, music, comedy and drama. Starting with the legend of Lilith, first wife to Adam, banned from the garden of Eden for refusing to be ruled by him, preferring solitude and celibacy, the evening goes on to a spoilt princess who learns humility through spending time in a commune, and culminates in a modern legend where a gay African man, comes to terms with himself by finding his own inner lion.
The audience is also treated to an imaginative reframing of the Lady Godiva myth, casting the Peeping Tom character as a female tailor captivated by Godiva, who returns her love. The gentle sensuousness and sheer romanticism of this episode are highlighted by Lucy Roslyn’s quietly persuasive intensity as Tom, and Roann Hassani McCloskey’s warm, engaging Godiva.
The actors, performing without costumes or scenery, work hard to engage the audience and they make a tightly-knit ensemble, smoothly co-ordinating their movements and shifting effortlessly into song on occasion.
The tone is relentlessly upbeat, as the creators are looking to communicate the joy in their stories and show that LGBTQIA+ people were often accepted and integrated into ancient society. Through this they are emphasising that this can continue to be so. There are no tragedies or horror stories here. The message seems to be, “We are here and have always been here; and as in the past, we can find our place, peace and happiness.”
The show is undoubtedly didactic and the messages are not particularly subtle. Also, some of the earlier sections are more than a little confusing. Nevertheless, in providing a safe space and reassurance for anyone coming to terms with their sexuality, it fulfils a valuable function in an evening that most people will find enjoyable.
Runs until 25th June 2025
