A closeted Hollywood heartthrob struggles to keep a lid on his love life in Chris Woodley’s new farce, set in an LA hotel room on the eve of the Oscars. Tommy On Top will play 28 July – 29 August at Above The Stag Theatre, London.
No out gay man has ever won Best Actor at the Oscars.
Fortunately, surprise nominee Tommy Miller isn’t an out gay man. Unfortunately, gossip hack Kiki Lopez suspects he’s got a lot more in his closet than just a freshly-pressed tuxedo… including his secret, showtune-quoting, spectacularly gay boyfriend. And she’s on her way to interview him.
Can Tommy make it up the red carpet with his hetero heartthrob status intact – or is he about to make Hollywood history?
Take your seats for a giddy and gloriously foul-mouthed comedy that hilariously skewers the hype and hypocrisy of Tinseltown.
Writer Chris Woodley says “Hollywood loves to present itself as super liberal, but we often hear how that’s simply not the case. Gay actors are told not to mention their partners, or are asked to pull back on being camp in interviews. Stay in the straight lane please!”
“My previous writing has been rooted in drama or very autobiographical so I really wanted to write a full-on, foul-mouthed farce with a bit of political tickle.”
Woodley wrote the Section 28-inspired Next Lesson, seen at Above The Stag Theatre and The Pleasance, which was also shortlisted for the 2019 Polari First Book Prize.
Tommy On Top will be directed by Bryan Hodgson, whose productions include Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens at the Union Theatre, and an ingenious The Importance of Being Earnest reimagined for two actors at the Barn Theatre, Cirencester, which transferred to London’s Turbine Theatre.
The show is being designed by David Shields, whose recent designs include Heathers The Musical (West End) and Above The Stag Theatre’s award-winning production of Grindr: The Opera.
Lighting is by Joseph Ed Thomas with sound by Paul Gavin.
The cast features Bridgette Amofah, Alexander Hulme, Christopher Lane, Lucas Livesey, Becky Sanneh and Stacy Sobieski.
Tommy On Top is presented by Ben Paturel and John Owen in association with Andy Hill and Tom McGregor for Above The Stag Theatre, London’s LGBT+ theatre, bar and cabaret lounge.
It follows the theatre’s current Contact season of new work from diverse theatre-makers exploring a wide range of LGBT+ issues and experiences.
