From the perspective of a boy who takes a pretty keen interest in other boys, the poster promoting performances of Go By Night at the Brisbane Powerhouse is certainly a clever marketing ploy to rouse the interest of me and my demographic. But then again, pictures of a youthful man, rubbing up against a brick wall with his undies hanging off his exposed buttocks is bound to gain the attention of the gay market every time.
Written by Stephen House, and performed by Stephen Sheehan, Go By Night is advertised as a confronting and compelling story of one young gay man's quest for identity in a homophobic environment. In true stereotypical style, the play's protagonist, known as Johnny Boy, begins his journey as a beer-swilling, faggot-bashing yobbo in suburban Adelaide and is transformed through his sexual awakening into a heroin-using, cross-dressing, gay prostitute on the streets of Sydney's King's Cross.
Sure, it can be very challenging coming to terms with being homosexual, and this is bound to be echoed in gay theatre, but i'm just not sure why we need to keep seeing depressing, negative images of men who transform themselves from unhappy, repressed wankers into even more downtrodden, shallow and garish gay wankers. I often wonder if the struggling male finds it so hard to come to terms with homosexual tendencies because we are rarely presented with positive role models or strong gay characters in our entertainment.
This production is by no means poor. House's script is evocative and well written, the performance by Sheehan is charismatic and revealing in all senses of the word, and AIDS is not referred to even once during the evening (a first for gay theatre I'm sure). The set is minimal, but unfortunately lacks the brick walls promised by the poster, leaving Johnny Boy and his loose clothing nothing to rub against.
For those members of the theatre-going public who aren't gay, there's possibly not a great deal to be gained from seeing Go By Night. For those who are intrigued by boys doing boys, or at least boys doing boys dressed like girls, there are many like-minded men in the audience (and what seems like even more hovering around the Powerhouse bar afterwards). If, however, you're more the type that is hoping for an evening along the lines of loose undies and brick walls, the erotic comforts of the New Farm park toilets are conveniently located right next door to the theatre, with confronting and compelling performances every night of the week.