My Son’s A Queer: Rob Madge’s Olivier nominated show thrills Derby Theatre crowd
Derby Theatre was part of the national tour, you can still watch the show at McEwan Hall in Edinburgh and Home in Manchester in the coming weeks
My Son’s A Queer But What Can You Do (MSAQ), is a WhatsOnStage Award winning and Olivier Award nominated show.
Cult sensation Rob Madge who wrote the play and stars in it too, is in the middle of a national tour.
Derby Theatre is one of five new venues added and DerbyWorld visited on Tuesday July 23, 2024.
You know you’re watching something special when within seconds of a theatre show starting, there is a round of thunderous applause.
What warranted an outpouring of adoration in just a few seconds?
It was the streaming of a home movie on a large screen showing Madge as a precocious child, carrying out the roles of director, actor, script writer and all-round theatre svengali at the tender age of just 12-years-old.
The show opens with Madge trying to stage a full-blown Disney parade in the living room where they dress up as wig-wearing Mary Poppins, Ariel, Belle, Mickey Mouse and Goofy.
It’s a family affair, with Madge’s parents and grandparents also getting involved.
Part biography, part aspirational show, MSAQ charts the journey of Madge’s thespian talent from the age of a child.
With the home movie show as a backdrop, we meet a cast of family members whose actions, profound love and acceptance will make you fall in love with them.
Despite Madge being the only physical performer on stage, you never really feel as if it’s a solo performance, thanks to the stellar supporting cast that appears on video.
This, I think, is a really clever staging method which draws the audience ever closer to the action and helps them become part of the narrative.
It’s like watching a family-shot, VHS home movie from years gone by, the very act of showing this, is like inviting you to be part of the family.
Read more: What's On in Derby?
We watch Madge, a Disney loving, charming artiste with quite possibly the most expressive facial expressions ever, take the audience by the hand and give us a sneak peek into their life.
Yes there are toe-tapping songs galore thanks to Madge’s impressive set of lungs.
However, I had not expected to cry my way through the performance, as the show depicted Madge’s struggles of fitting in.
The scene where Madge puts away dresses, to try and conform to society’s expectations of ‘being a boy’ was heartbreaking.
Madge is that rare performer who will make you laugh, cry and laugh some more, evoking a rollercoaster of emotions in just a few minutes.
I left the theatre with a spring in my step and my heart full of love, what can be better than that?
My Son’s A Queer (But what can you do) performed a three-night run at Derby Theatre from 22 - 24 July, 2024.
Tickets for shows this summer are available at McEwan Hall in Edinburgh (August 1 - 16) and Home in Manchester (August 19 - 25).