From 11th – 15th April, The Multiverse is Gay will be transporting the Lyceum through a wild, cosmic, and touchingly hilarious wormhole of multiverse shenanigans and surprisingly stunning escapism. This brand new play by Lewis Hetherington is a showcase of bright new talent from every team involved, and was a joyously wacky experience with a genuine, emotional heart. The fluidity of performance, stark originality, and relatable, compelling story caused for a lively audience who happily embraced the high concept insanity and the pure queer joy of the piece, which left me smiling throughout my drive home.
In the programme, director Sophie Howell writes that ‘The multiverse is having its moment right now’ – very true. And this has been done to varying degrees of success in popular media as the unrestrained insanity of the multiverse has an optimistic, distinctly longing draw. Sometimes the overwhelming vastness of potential can be intimidating, though this was not a fear for this production, nor was it a rehash of recent popular multiverse projects. On the contrary, The Multiverse is Gay brought an originality to the concept by separating the central character – Amber (Orla Bayne) – from the universes they learn of, and opting for a deeply character driven story on the personal potential of Amber’s place in the wackiness of our universe, and every other. Emotionally driven and intimate, the vastness here did not feel overwhelming, but strangely welcoming and authentic; the main setting of the piece, The Big Nowhere, made a liminal space feel lived in and real thanks to the beautifully surreal set and costume design by Christine Ting-Huan Urquhart. Movements director Jo Richards kept up the strange atmosphere through subtle movements of the multiverse gang as mobile set dressing in the beginning, and later amplified key scenes through fascinating visual dynamics which were expertly complimented by the light and sound design, which cannot be praised enough for elevating this production to its true vision of hopping out of the universe, watching the stars sing and attending the queer cabaret at the end of the multiverse.
I truly understood why so many of its inhabitants were content to stay in The Big Nowhere; it’s an escapist safe haven, and a place to take a seat out from a reality you never truly felt a part of. The Amberate, played by Lewis James, truly sold the odd space in a stand out performance, treading the line between ethereal and unsettling as The Big Nowhere’s leader. For all of its visual and emotional splendour, the characters were down to earth and genuine regardless of their strange situations. It surprised me how deeply likeable every one of Amber’s friends were as their quirky dynamics were clear; Robin and Cameron’s rocky on-again-off-again relationship, Caz and Daz’s risky business venture, the sweet awkwardness of Jessie and Amber’s bond. The character writing and talented cast made this high concept play accessible and distinct, inviting the audience into their Dean Gardens picnic and some more unfamiliar places. However, it was not pure escapism, as The Multiverse is Gay did not shy away from difficult topics of self discovery and queer identity. Amber struggles to belong in a world so often against them and, as they soon discover, these struggles can be multi-universal. Their story was simple and touching as they longed to fit in and be part of something, as I imagine many of us can understand.
The Multiverse is Gay is a stellar, compelling, nostalgic piece which beautifully captures the potential of the multiverse and the heart of coming of age. It’s as wacky as it is emotional, surreal as it is authentic, culminating in a hilarious, engaging story of queer self discovery and belonging which soared in the talent of the cast and crew and the simple sweetness of its sentiment. Joyous, sentimental and truly unique.
The Royal Lyceum, 11th – 15th April
Images by Mihaela Bodlovich provided via press release