PREVIEW: 5 Guys Chillin’ – King’s Head Theatre, London

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PREVIEW: 5 Guys Chillin’ – King’s Head Theatre, London

After a successful run at Brighton Fringe, 5 Guys Chillin’ is transferring to the King’s Head Theatre in London.

We spoke with playwright Peter Darney about his exploration of the chill-out sex scene that has become increasingly popular with gay men.

What drew you to this project?

A friend of mine, who lived nearby, started to get heavily involved in the chill-out scene. I found it fascinating, the fact you could tell he was hosting a chill-out by seeing all the people at his house on Grindr.

He explained it to me, and I started to notice that they were happening everywhere, and that you could find one going on pretty easily at any time of the day, any day of the week, within about 500 meters.

I was fascinated by what drew people to them. I was also aware that HIV infection rates are going up in London, and that chem-sex and impaired safer sex decision-making is thought to be in part responsible. I thought that the time was right to take a closer look the scene.

What is it about the chill-out scene that attracts so many gay men?

There are lots of things that attract people to chem-sex, and it’s by no means just gay men that do it though it is a big issue in our community right now. Sex is a visceral experience, and can be an awkward experience. Chems can enhance the feelings, and take away inhibitions for a time.

We are in the middle of a recession, and going to a chill-out is a lot cheaper than a night out in Soho or Vauxhall. Also, in this social media age, how do we meet and connect? It’s a way to have company, meet new people, feel connected. The longevity of the connection may, in most circumstances, be limited, but it’s a way to feel connected, for a time.

What process did you use to create the dialogue for these characters?

I interviewed a lot of people and chose the most interesting to use them as a framework for creating the play. I cut these interviews down, and looked back over the other interviews I had conducted, for things that I felt were important or amusing. I then took the five main characters, reordered and interwove what they said to try and make it feel like real conversation, stitching in the additions from other interviews. The main thing I tried to do was ensure that there was something in what each character said that could motivate the following speech so they agree, disagree and expand.

What did you learn during the process of creating this work?

I learned that its not easy to have a meaningful and fulfilling connection in the modern age, and that social media can help and hinder in equal measure. I learned that there are various stages of a chill-out, and that some people can dip in and out and enjoy them as part of a rounded social life. Others can allow them to take over their lives. I learned a lot about drugs and sex! I learned that ‘slamming’ has become very fashionable amongst some guys, which kind of surprised me.

Did your attitudes change during the process of creating this work?

When I started out I had assumed that everyone was having a lot more fun than they actually were, generally speaking. I think I found, in a lot of the people that I spoke to, a bit of an emptiness. There seemed to be a need for some form of connection that I don’t think they were going to find where they were looking. I had also thought that they had an amazing sense of freedom and liberation, but found that they actually had their own insecurities and constraints.

Does the play have a message or opinion on the chill-out scene?

I have tried to be truthful to the people I met and the stories I’m telling. There are a range of experiences covered, but obviously I couldn’t discuss all the issues and show the full range of people and their involvement without actors playing multiple characters, which I really didn’t want to do. I have tried to be balanced and honest, and looked for the truth of why the people I have chosen say and think what they do.

What can audiences expect from 5 Guys Chillin’?

A frank, honest and open discussion of some people’s experience of the scene. Sometimes funny, sometimes sad, some universal and some niche.

Was it easy to find the actors that you were looking for to bring these characters to life?

It was tricky. The actors had to have faith in me that this very graphic text would be handled in the right way. My cast had faith in me at Brighton Fringe, and have stuck by me to bring the work to London.

Is 5 Guys Chillin’ a play that will only appeal to an audience of gay men?

Ultimately this is a play about how we connect. What a relationship can be. What sex can be. How we fill the void. My characters may be towards the more extreme, but I think those questions and feelings are pretty much universal.

5 Guys Chillin’ will be presented at the King’s Head Theatre in London: 1-24 October 2015