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https://www.waterlooeast.co.uk/f-men2024
Adam Roebuck
presents
F**king Men
by
Based on Schnitzler's La Ronde
with
Director
Movement & Intimacy Director
Set & Costume Designer
Lighting Designer
Composer & Sound Designer
Casting
Production Manager
Company Stage Manager
Press
Marketing
Production Accounts
Artwork
Chris Clegg
Voice & Accent Coach
Photography
Michaela Walshe
A Message from the Playwright
Like many writers before me, I've always been fascinated by Schnitzler's classic play "La Ronde." Ten characters. Ten scenes. Ten dances in & out of bed (or in & out of broom closets. Or saunas. Or wherever.) Among my favorite adaptations -- Michael John LaChiusa's time-jumping musical ("Hello Again,") and David Hare's scaled-down duet ("The Blue Room,") which was a Broadway hit in part due to star Nicole Kidman's fleeting moment of nudity. But if an all-male "La Ronde" existed, I had never heard of it.
Then, one summer, while vacationing in the gay mecca of Provincetown, Massachusetts, thoughts of "La Ronde" kept popping into my head. Day by sunny day, I observed the roundelay that we gay dudes do in pursuit of sex -- on the beach or in the bars, or simply strolling down the streets of a town preternaturally brimming with homosexuals. Many of us would hook up -- for better or for worse -- with an abandon and frequency that would cause my straight friends' jaws to drop when I'd tell them about it. Appropriately, I began writing the play in Provincetown. And I didn't exactly have to go to the library to do research.
Truthfully, I didn't think anyone would be interested in producing the play (so I thought, what the hell, I'll give it an un-producible title.) After all, the gay-themed narratives of the day were usually driven by what I call the gay-play trifecta: shame, self-loathing, and suffering. But a testosterone-fueled new take on "La Ronde" seemed to offer a much more appealing -- and at the time, radical -- gay narrative: men who weren't ashamed of the sex they were pursuing. In fact, they rather enjoyed it. And it became an essential part of who they were.
"Fucking Men" debuted 15 years ago in a London theatre even tinier than this one and, to my happy astonishment, the play ran and ran and spurred myriad other productions. And I'm thrilled that Steve Kunis' terrific production has returned for an encore to Waterloo East.
Of course, over the years, much has changed, which affects the sex lives of gay men -- from the development of more highly effective HIV medications to the introduction of Prep, enabling sexual freedom not truly seen since the early 1980s.
So when producer Adam Roebuck asked if I'd be interested in reviving "Fucking Men," I jumped at the chance with one condition -- I wanted to find a young director who could challenge me to refocus the play through a modern lens. He recommended the brilliant Steven Kunis, and Steven and I have since spent many hours dissecting every issue, from generational self-identification (gay? queer?) to the pros and cons of hookup apps (in my day, we had to actually put on clothes and go out to a bar to get laid, which apparently renders me a bit a relic.)
A youthful friend recently asked how much has changed for gay men since I came of age in the 80's. I told him a lot, of course, but also not much at all. Then as now, we still use sex as a means of connection, expression, and love. So, no matter how you identify, I hope you recognize some moments of common humanity in the play. And I highly recommend a trip to Provincetown.
Special Thanks
Gerald Armin
David Adkin
Paul Virides
Waterloo East Theatre
Waterloo East Theatre opened in September 2010 and was founded and created by multi- award winning Theatre Producer and former musical theatre actor Gerald Armin who discovered the disused railway arch in 2009 and decided it would make a great 100 seat theatre that would be an addition to the already thriving cultural quarter in Waterloo that has the Old Vic, Young Vic and the National Theatre.
Since opening the theatre, it has welcomed over 200 productions that have entertained more than 300,000 ticket holders. Many productions received critical acclaim with Off West End award wins and nominations and international acclaim with transfers of three off-Broadway seasons and productions in Australia and Europe. One play is currently in pre-production for its cinematic release in 2024, and two others have also been optioned to be developed, one into a TV series and the other into a film.
The venue champions new writing and offers a platform for new and undiscovered talent both on and off the stage. It also aspires to give London audiences an opportunity to discover shows that they may never have had the chance to see by mounting revivals and European premiers.
In September 2020, Waterloo East Theatre celebrated ten years whilst in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic and with no income coming in for over two years, the future looked bleak, but through perseverance, a little bit of funding from the Culture Recovery Fund and some kind donations from our loyal audiences, we managed to keep the doors open, for now, but we are not out of danger yet, for whilst we try to recover, the cost of living crisis and energy price hike have once again put us in a precarious position.
But as they say, ‘The show must go on’ and as we are not in receipt of any grants or public subsidy, we are relying more than ever on donations and financial support from our audiences and theatre friends to keep the theatre operating and to continue to provide excellent production standards for our in-house shows and visiting companies.
If you want to support us, please visit http://www.WaterlooEast.co.uk and click on Donate.
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