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Preview: Geoffrey Hyland on F*cking Men
The King’s Head theatre in London has a strong track record of presenting new work, but it’s great to see the return of one their most successful productions – Fucking Men.
This new production will be directed by Geoffrey Hyland. We caught up with Hyland to talk about the play’s return to the London stage.
Do you feel any pressure for this production of Fucking Men to exceed or at least live up to the original?
I didn’t see the original production so I have no preconceived ideas of how this play works. The same goes for the rest of the cast. So we will be coming at it from our own perspectives and perceptions. And because we are unique artists, I expect the play to reek of that individuality.
I guess the only pressure we feel is to honor the themes of the play and to do what is necessary to give the audience an enthralling evening at the theatre.
Is the play as explicit as its title suggests?
Let’s be clear – this isn’t pornography (or pornography in the guise of art). It’s about men hooking up with men. It’s about desire – that complex terrain between body and mind. It’s about the search for love, for ecstasy or for some kind of connection. And it’s about the magic and the danger of that pursuit.
The production will present this exploration in a titillating, raw, sensual, frank, sexy, stylish and thought-provoking way.
Is it a play that will only appeal to gay men?
All my life I’ve watched ‘straight’ plays and found something relevant to my life as a gay man. So here’s a play drawn from a gay perspective but one that is still relevant to the wider human experience. Anyone who enjoys a candid and provocative exploration of the physical and sexual expression of human desire should find something that appeals.
Who can we expect to see in the cast for this production of Fucking Men?
Ten very different and, I believe, very good actors – not just pretty faces. And they range in age from 20–50. For some of them it’s their London debut, whilst others have tons of experience. I have to say that they’re a pretty compelling bunch. They will be announced very soon!
What was your casting process like – was it difficult to find the actors you were looking for to fill these roles?
It was actually a lot easier than I expected. Any actor, who had read the play and the audition brief, knew the challenge. There’s a willingness to be confronted by some fairly candid material, to be open to an ‘out there’ experience and to travel the road to fully honor the subject matter.
The text as written can also lead one into presenting stereotypes – it became important to find actors who could texture the character beyond the obvious. I believe I’ve found them.
The King’s Head is an intimate space, what sort of challenges does that present for actors?
For the audience this is a ‘fly-on-the-wall’ experience, what I like to call ‘shit-kicking realism’. The actors need to come from a very truthful, very centred place and we should not feel as though they’re acting. They can’t pretend – they can only work with aspects of their lived lives and their potential selves. And that kind of honesty is very confronting, a nakedness – sometimes quite literally as well.
Is there a danger that the experiences of the characters in Fucking Men will feel a bit dated? Why is this play still relevant for today’s audiences?
The dialogue is pretty damn smart and contemporary. With a few tweaks, we will transpose it from its American setting into present-day London.
I don’t think that the hunt for sex, ecstasy and physical pleasure (and all that this means) is ever dated.
Fucking Men is being presented by the King’s Head Theatre in London, 5-30 August 2015.
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Gareth Johnson
www.gaystarnews.com/article/preview-geoffrey-hyland-on-fcking-men/
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