Moment of Grace, a new play by Bren Gosling which was to have been staged at London's Tristan Bates Theatre in March, has been reworked as a film-theatre hybrid and will be available for online viewing from 31 July.
The play covers the visit of Diana, Princess of Wales to London’s first AIDS unit in 1987, which saw a shift in public opinion and media coverage of HIV and AIDS.
Bren Gosling said, “this story is a key part of our recent queer and collective history, which is in danger of being forgotten. In the midst of our current, challenging pandemic times, Moment of Grace reminds us of how acts of kindness can effect a sea change in attitudes towards the marginalised, stigmatised and oppressed; it gives us hope.”
Described as heart-breaking and heart-warming, Moment of Grace has been inspired by interviews and the testimonies collected by the National HIV Story Trust.
A three-hander, it looks at the event from the perspective of Andrew, a patient, Jude, a nurse on the ward, and Donnie, a fireman estranged from his son. The cast is made up of Luke Dayhill, Andrew Paul and Lucy Walker-Evans. The director is Nicky Allpress and the producer is Paul Coleman.
Moment of Grace will stream on The Actors Centre web site from 7:30PM on 31 July until 11:59PM on 9 August. There will be a Q&A with Bren Gosling, Nicky Allpress and Paul Coleman after the first screening.