Grindr, a dating app aimed at randy gay men looking to link up with some else in the vicinity, may not seem a likely subject for an opera, but Erik Ransom's raunchy, not so tongue-in-cheek look at online dating proves entertaining and has already gone down well for a target gay audience at the much missed Above the Stag Theatre.
This new production, directed and choreographed by William Spencer, does it proud, though sometimes a little too loud. Though the lyrics and action are sometimes explicit, there is nothing to frighten wider contemporary audiences, for these days we all know what goes on.
Ransom personifies the app as a male diva in bustier corset and feather ruff with a soaring vocal line and Christian Lunn hitting the high notes as Grindr. We see him first sleeping in an ecclesiastical setting flanked by his acolytes Cupidas (Grant Jackson) and Illecebra (James Aymon). They wake him and strip off their monks’ cowls to reveal see-through vests and tight, shiny satin pants. We are then set for a sung-through show full of swirling, camp choreography delivered with precision by its hard-working cast.
There are two main storylines that then converge. On the one hand is Don, a closeted, middle-aged and married Conservative with a guilt complex who finds himself with a feisty rent boy, Jack; on the other hand, there is romantic twink Tom, who has the luck to meet gentle young doctor Devon.
James Lowrie’s energy-packed Jack is a vibrant performance and Santino Zapico’s Devon is the doctor we’d all like to be treated by (though not perhaps at his STD clinic), but it is Dereck Walker as Don and Billy J Vale as Tom who deliver the standout performances.
The music ranges from operatic aria to pastiche Village People, and it is sung by a cast with strong voices and a great band, though the high register of some numbers and strong amplification made me miss some of the witty lyrics with their multiple rhymes.
Grindr: The Opera is great entertainment but it isn’t just a camp extravaganza; there is a serious core about personal pride, gay identity and relationships and—hey!—it isn’t just gay men who use online dating apps.