This spring, The Turbine Theatre announce a season celebrating queer love, with three shows running consecutively from 21 March until 30 June 2024.
Opening the season is the debut play by celebrated gay playwright Kevin Elyot, Coming Clean. This comes after the success of the theatre’s previous collaboration with Elyot, My Night With Reg. Following Coming Clean, the next production will be Blowing Whistles, written by Matthew Todd. The final show in the line-up is Closer to Heaven, featuring an original score by the iconic Pet Shop Boys, and book by Jonathan Harvey.
Paul Taylor Mills has said, “I’m thrilled to be presenting three celebrated queer productions this Spring/Summer. The Turbine Theatre continues to be a forefront of LGBTQ plus representation in theatre and this programme cements that. We’re hugely grateful for our loyal audiences and hope they’re as excited about our forthcoming season as we are.
I’m particularly looking forward to completely reconfiguring our entire theatre to create a club atmosphere for our revival of the cult classic Closer to Heaven, where we will be able to enjoy the anthemic Pet Shop Boys’ sounds once more.”
Coming Clean
Written by Kevin Elyot
Directed by Andrew Beckett
It’s 1982, Greg and Tony live in Kentish Town. They’ve been together 5 years and seem to have the perfect relationship and have love all figured out. They’re in a committed relationship, but with room for a little sex-on-the-side whenever it takes their fancy. Their only rule? Never sleep with the same man twice. When drop-dead gorgeous cleaner Robert walks into their lives, the fragile foundations of their sexual contract are thrown into jeopardy.
Funny, fresh and packed with razor sharp wit, Kevin Elyot’s landmark drama questions the nature of fidelity and the limits of love.
Written 12 years before his most famous play, My Night With Reg, Coming Clean won Elyot the Samuel Beckett Award for writers showing particular promise in the field of the performing arts.
Running from 21 March until 20 April.
Blowing Whistles
Written by Matthew Todd
Directed by Jonathan O’Boyle
Nigel loves his hedonistic lifestyle – he has a long-term boyfriend, goes clubbing and has lots of sex in their open relationship. Jamie, his partner of ten years isn’t sure things are so great.
The night before Pride in the Park, the couple contact a stranger on the online, a mysterious young man that seems too good to be true. They make plans for a night of casual sex, but their young guest has a very different agenda…
Blowing Whistles is a searingly topical drama about love, sex and Gay Pride, a blisteringly funny and honest account of a modern gay lifestyle.
Running from 25 April until 25 May.
Closer to Heaven
Music and lyrics by Pet Shop Boys
Written by Jonathan Harvey
Let us take you back to the Millennium for the night of your life… London’s club-land is thriving. Suddenly what was wrong seems right… The Turbine Theatre is proud to present new production of this adored club musical.
With a book by one of Britain’s most celebrated writers, Jonathan Harvey, and the iconic sounds of Pet Shops Boys this promises to be anything but old fashioned.
Closer to Heaven features an original club score by Pet Shop Boys and originally premiered at the Arts Theatre in 2001. The Pet Shop Boys are the UK’s most successful pop duo, having enjoyed 12 Top Ten studio albums and 40 Top Twenty singles.
The Turbine Theatre will be transformed into Vic’s Club and seating for this production will be allocated on arrival. Doors will be open one hour before each performance where you will be assigned a seat. If you have access needs that we should be aware of then please email boxoffice@theturbinetheatre.com who will be happy to help.
Running from 31 May until 30 June.
