If you’ve ever listened to Rewinder on Radio 4, where Greg James delves into the BBC archives, you’ll know some of the Corporation’s more curious decisions. Playing at Assembly’s The Crate, Stephen M Hornby’s The BBC’s First Homosexual draws on newly uncovered archive documents to illuminate a fascinating and significant turning point in the organisation’s history.
The year is 1954. The first homosexual in question is not an individual, but the first use of the word on the BBC Home Service, which would later become Radio 4. “Such a word will never have been spoken in the homes of English families,” insists a senior executive as a younger colleague argues that the broadcaster’s mission to inform and educate demands a discussion about the arrests and persecution of gay men.
From the corridors of Broadcasting House, the story shifts to the streets of Manchester, where Tom, a young tailor at Burtons, is beginning to understand his own sexuality. Despite the very real dangers of the era, he finds himself seeking companionship in public toilets and hidden bars, drawn towards a world that exists largely beyond public view.
Although the two narratives do not fully converge until the closing moments, they complement one another beautifully. Hornby’s script highlights the gulf between the BBC’s cautious internal debates and the lived realities of gay men in post war Britain. The contrast gives the play both its emotional weight and its historical significance.
A remarkable number of characters populate The BBC’s First Homosexual, all brought to life by a cast of just three actors. From Burtons customers and BBC executives to invited experts and even Mary Whitehouse, each role is sharply defined. Andrew Pollard excels as the establishment minded senior BBC figure while demonstrating impressive versatility across multiple supporting characters, ensuring each is given a distinct identity.
Jolyon Benson delivers a deeply affecting performance as Tom. There is a natural innocence to his portrayal that makes the character immediately relatable, and as Tom grows in confidence and self awareness, Benson charts that development with subtlety and conviction.
Completing the trio is Max Lohan, who plays the more progressive BBC executive alongside several of the men who cross Tom’s path. Lohan brings warmth and nuance to each role, creating characters that feel fully realised despite limited stage time.
The original broadcast itself was hardly progressive by modern standards. Listed in the Radio Times as Homosexuality: The Condition, The Cult and The Crime, its framing reflected many of the prejudices of the period. Yet the final scenes underline the importance such a transmission could have had for isolated young men like Tom, offering perhaps the first acknowledgement that people like them existed.
Directed by Oliver Hurst, The BBC’s First Homosexual is a compelling and thoughtfully crafted exploration of queer history. Combining meticulous research with genuine emotional depth, it is brought vividly to life by three exceptional performances and serves as a timely reminder of how far society has come, and how important it is to remember the stories that helped shape that journey.
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