Gay London Life | September '26 Edition - Magazine - Page 28
Life of a Luvvie with Thomas Magill
With playwrite and
actor Derek Murphy
and Pride in London
CEO Rebecca Paisis
From Edinburgh With Love
Hundreds of miles north of London, the focus last month was firmly on
Edinburgh as the Fringe welcomed visitors from around the world for
countless shows and performances. It’s a huge part of the year for freelance
backstage workers, actors, playwrights and producers who flock north with
their latest masterpieces, all hoping to pack theatres and get noticed by the
‘big boys’ looking for the next big thing.
And it really can happen. Recent success stories include Richard Gadd’s
Baby Reindeer, which debuted at the Fringe in 2019 before being snapped up
by Netflix and turned into a hit series in 2024. Six The Musical and my all-time
favourite, Choir of Man, also had Edinburgh runs before heading to the West End
and beyond. It’s part of the magic of the Fringe. Somewhere in all that glorious
chaos, tomorrow’s huge hit could be playing to 40 people above a pub.
Now everyone’s heading home, the chatter about what worked and
what flopped has begun. I’m hearing a lot of excitement about Bliss. An AGT
production, it was by far the biggest new musical at this year’s Fringe. Was it any
good? I didn’t see it, but plenty of four and five-star reviews suggest audiences
were impressed, and it could well be heading for a London stage soon.
One new play definitely arriving this month is Mammy’s House at Upstairs
at the Gatehouse. Written by Amy Clarke and created with producer Derek
Murphy, it’s set in Camden in 1985 and follows a group of Irish people who’ve
formed their own LGBTQ+ chosen family. Exploring the experiences of Irish
queer migrants during the AIDS crisis in London, it promises Irish humour, queer
resilience and a story we don’t hear nearly enough. It runs until 13 September.
Separated by more than a century, Oscar Wilde’s A Woman of No
Importance and Mark Ravenhill’s Some Explicit Polaroids are set to run backto-back at the Tower Theatre in Stoke Newington. Written in 1893 and 1999
respectively, both are landmark plays that helped shape conversations around
LGBTQ+ lives, so it’s great to see them being celebrated again.
I’ve written before about how much I love the tiny Waterloo East Theatre,
tucked under the arches close to Waterloo East station. Its programme is
always full of variety, and this month Jerker caught my eye. It promises a daring,
seductive story about two strangers who connect through a series of latenight phone calls. What’s not to like? Jerker premieres from 26 September.
That’s your lot from me this month. There’s plenty more theatre to
come as we head towards winter, along with whatever weather El Niño
decides to throw at us.
Buy a strong brolly. x
@thomasmagill1
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