Presented by Royal Croquet Club & The Last Great Hunt. Royal Croquet Club - Ukiyo. 19 Feb 2016
Fag/Stag is a beautifully written and superbly acted story about two young men, Corgan and Jimmy, who are ‘besties’ and who are pushing through particularly difficult periods in their loves. The play explores the things they share, and the things that make them fundamentally different, especially their sexuality: Corgan is heterosexual, and Jimmy is not – hence the name of the play.
The narrative is grounded in their mutual desire for meaningful and lasting relationships, and although sexuality is a central theme it is merely a frame around which richly detailed and highly credible characters and situations are constructed and brought to life on stage. The fun aspect of the story is that Corgan and Jimmy each tell the same story, but their accounts are different, often hilariously so. This is also a serious piece of theatre and strives to give an insight into Australian maleness.
Fag/Stag is co-written and acted by Jeffrey Jay Fowler (Jimmy) and Chris Isaacs (Corgan). These two young artists are highly skilled writers who are able to clearly tell a story and who don’t get self-obsessed with the act of writing. As actors they are admirable: excellent projection and diction (which they needed it to overcome the ambient noise of the venue); physical expressivity; emotional facility; superb monologue techniques; and a deep sense of partnership with each other.
The venue? Ukiyo? One has to wonder at the names given to the various Fringe venues. Apparently Ukiyo is a Japanese word that loosely translates as ‘floating world’ and describes the ‘pleasure-seeking’ aspects of urban lifestyle of an earlier time. It is then perhaps fitting that Fag/Stag should be staged in the Ukiyo. Corgan and Jimmy are temporarily ‘floating’ about and trying to make sense of their situations, but Fag/Stag is much more than about seeking pleasure.
Fag/Stag is a highly entertaining and affecting stand-out show.
Kym Clayton
When: 18 Feb to 1 Mar
Where: Royal Croquet Club – Ukiyo
Bookings: adelaidefringe.com.au
