This play is typical of the miserable, issue-based slop that attracts arts council funding, and that’s Andrew Doherty’s point.
Doherty presents us with his ‘work-in-progress’ of his new sad gay AIDS play, commissioned by ACE (Arts Council England). ACE are on Zoom, listening to every word, making sure Doherty doesn’t step out of line or become too ‘political’.
Within the play, Doherty’s main character, Harry Manlove, is your typical gay man in the 80s: best friends with Freddie Mercury, Elton John, and Princess Diana. Harry deals with his troubles by shagging dodgy men without protection, what could go wrong?
As the ‘play’ continues, Doherty’s motivations behind the show start to unravel as he reveals to us he actually doesn’t know much about AIDS at all, the show he really wanted to put on was a campy character piece which he passionately describes to us, and it sounds amazing. However, his funding from ACE requires their complete control over his material, views, and characters.
What follows is a well-crafted satirical criticism of the way funding bodies control artists and capitalise on their grief and trauma, as well as the hypocrisy of being put into social issue shaped boxes without any room for an individualised perspective. Why does a gay man have to write a show about AIDS despite having no personal connection at all? What Doherty captures perfectly is not only the need for artistic freedom, but for pure silly fun.
Andrew Doherty: Sad Gay AIDS Play, Pleasance Dome, until 24 Aug, 8.30pm