Gay London Life | June '25 Edition - Magazine - Page 18
Photo by Elliott Franks
Alexander Lincoln, Billy Porter, and Omari Douglas / This Bitter Earth
Billy Porter is an award-winning actor,
those conversations. So it’s interesting
singer, and producer among many
to be working on a play where all of
other talents and recently starred as
those conversations are being played
Emcee in Cabaret at the Playhouse
out and I’m actually learning so much.
Theatre. He’s about to embark on
It’s been healing for me.
another project here in London,
Pride is soon – have you been to
making his West End directing debut
London Pride before?
in This Bitter Earth. I caught up with
I did Pride London in Trafalgar Square
Life of a
Luvvie
him ahead of this show to see how he’s
in 2019. Last year, I did Brighton and
feeling about it.
this year I’m heading to Manchester.
How was your time in Cabaret?
Pride is Pride is Pride, honey! I’ve
I’ve been here since December. The
been around since 1988 and what I
show is great. It can be challenging
love is that it’s about community and
emotionally, but I feel I’m in my
coming together in a physical form. It’s
purpose. I feel blessed.
always very healing. They all have that
GLL’s man in the stalls, Thomas Magill, had
the pleasure of interviewing Broadway legend
Billy Porter ahead of his UK directorial debut
Having never performed in the West
component and the same intention,
End before, what attracted you now?
which is very powerful.
It was the role. I’ve always wanted to play
What do you think of the recent
in London. Over the last couple of years,
Supreme Court decision here?
I’ve worked on music and films here, and
I don’t understand what it is about
I like the energy. It’s been a gift to be able
human nature that sometimes people
to be here, particularly during the start
feel as though legislating other
of this second Trump administration. I’ve
people’s humanity is appropriate. We
been able to recharge.. I’ve called this
have to remember we are all worthy —
my self-care trip!
all of us. And you know when America
And you’re here for a bit longer after
gets sick, London gets a cold, so I am
Cabaret ends to direct This Bitter
not surprised about what happened.
Earth – how did that come about?
I know you’re always massively
It just fell in my lap. The producer Tom
busy when you’re here, but
Hopkins wanted to do the play and
have you managed to get some
wanted me to direct it. I happened to
downtime and see some other
meet one of his associates in Soho and
shows?
he sent me the script. It’s a beautiful
I went to see The Devil Wears
story of an inter-racial gay couple
Prada and I loved it, the talent is
working through and having the courage
extraordinary. And also Titanique,
to have some tough conversations that
which again I loved. You can go there
inter-racial couples need to have in
and see an audience full of theatre
order to exist, thrive and laugh.
nerds and Celine Dion fans, and the
Billy Porter
The backdrop is the civil unrest
from 2012-2015 in the States and
two worlds melt together. I’ve got a
bunch of other stuff to see as well!
it takes place in New York and
Minnesota. As a 55-year-old gay
The Bitter Earth, Wednesday 18th
black man, I see my life as pre-George
June to Saturday 26th July,
Floyd and post-George Floyd. I grew
Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street,
up in a generation after the civil rights
W1D 3NE. Nearest Station:
movement, where you just had to be
Tottenham Court Road
excellent and not talk about race.
I was never given the opportunity
pre-George Floyd to sit in the reality
of what it means to really be black. My
generation wasn’t allowed to have
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