Straight White Men review

Upon entering Fairfax Studio at the Arts Centre Melbourne, you can’t help but notice Candy Bowers as the Stagehand-in-Charge sitting up in her booth, playing some hip hop music, including Khia’s racy “My Neck, My Back”. As the music plays, she regularly glances over the audience while flicking through a newspaper, the back page emblazoned with “Black Lives Matter”. Considering we are about to see Young Jean Lee’s Straight White Men, a play about a family of the four eponymous men getting together for Christmas celebrations, the ruthless satire is punching us in the face, especially as she makes her way down to the stage and introduces us to the make-believe world.

FAG/STAG review - Melbourne Fringe

After rave reviews and an extended season at Perth's Fringe World Festival in 2015, Perth based theatre company, The LastGreat Hunt, have brought FAG/STAG to the Melbourne Fringe Festival. Written and performed by Jeffrey Jay Fowler and Chris Isaacs, it is the simple story of two best friends, one gay and one straight, who are going through some pretty challenging times in their lives. 

Jimmy (Fowler) and Corgan (Isaacs) each take a seat on opposite ends of the stage. At their disposal, they each have a mobile phone (to check their dating apps, grindr for Jimmy and tinder for Corgan) and a PlayStation controller. Using these two items, they recall the moments of their lives leading up to their friend Tamara's wedding. Tamara also happens to be Corgan's ex-girlfriend. Corgan is still not completely over their break up and Jimmy has just broken up with his boyfriend. Life is great.

FAG/STAG & Minnie and Mona Play Dead presented by The Last Great Hunt - Melbourne Fringe Festival preview

I saw a play called Hope Is The Saddest during the Melbourne Comedy Festival in 2013 and thought the entire production was brilliant. So I was thrilled to see the writer behind it, Jeffrey Jay Fowler, is coming to Melbourne Fringe with two shows being presented by Perth based theatre company, The LastGreat Hunt: FAG/STAG and Minnie and Mona Play Dead.

"With Hope is the Saddest we were exploring loneliness specifically, and lack of connection or understanding between people. FAG/STAG however, came from an interest (co-creator) Chris Isaacs and I had in what makes a friendship between straight and gay men different to other friendships," Fowler explains. "It explores how people of different sexualities can benefit from one another's company. I find my friendships with straight men much less tricky than my friendships with gay men."