Holding The Man

I had the luck of making it into one of the packed performances of "Holding The Man" last Monday evening at the Sydney Opera House. (Yes I know - I'm probably one of the last gayboys/queens in Sydney to have seen it!) After three seasons in the last year or so, this has been an incredible hit - and not just with the gay audiences! So after so many times talking about going - my partner booked us in for what would be an unforgettable night.

In a nutshell... What a wonderful show! Not only was it performed exceptionally, it was written and staged beautifully too.

Now a bit of background first.. For those who do not know of the book "Holding The Man" by Timothy Conigrave, you must not be a gay Australian male, or you live overseas! I seriously do not know a single person who has not read the book.. It's almost required reading for all gay boys in Australia! (Mind you, those of you abroad, I have heard it's been translated into several languages... I wonder where?)

Anyways, it basically is an autobiographical book about Timothy Conigrave's life, from his teenage years, through to it's emotional end during the AIDS epidemic in Australia. It primarily follows his long-term relationship with his partner John Caleo, but also his relationships with close friends, and of course, his family.

I had the pleasure of meeting Tommy Murphy, a resident writer for the Griffin Theatre, at the Opening Night Party of "Priscilla", and spoke with him about the stage adaption. It was wonderful to see the script move to the stage so brilliantly.. Well done Tommy!

With suitably perfect lighting and staging, it is a stirring account that always leaves the audience emotional, to say the least.

The actors all did an amazing job - there was never a time they were not committed to the character, pulling the emotion from deep inside, and by doing so, were completely genuine and engaging. Special mention to three of the cast in particular - Guy Edmonds (Timothy Conigrave), Matt Zeremes (John Caleo) and Brett Stiller (multiple characters). These three were superb! I wouldn't question what the show was if they were in it.. I would just say - "When are we going?!"

The play was a roller-coaster of emotions, as is the book. I remember reading it when I was attending WAAPA, finding striking similarities between myself and Timothy when he was attending NIDA. When discussing this with people, I find that they feel the same - even though, from outside, it would seem their two lives are poles apart. I believe this has been the reason for the book's/play's success.. It really translates well to every human being.

The book even caused a bit of concern with my lecturers at WAAPA, as I would sometimes turn up to my dance classes with tears streaming down my face! I never thought a book could do that too me!

It really is an amazing story, put beautifully into a book, then re-written, equally as beautifully, this time for the stage. I truly hope this show gets to tour Australia - everyone should see it. It is well deserving to make it into festivals the world over. Of course there are many of these types of stories told all around the world as it is, but this story in particular seems to resonate so strongly with so many people..

A must see!

9.5 Diamonds out of 10