With a new cast, Victor Rodger’s acclaimed play Black Faggot is heading to New Plymouth and Christchurch. The play is about being young, gay and Samoan, and was Rodger’s response to the debate over civil unions and same-sex marriage. He saw young Polynesian people and their families marching in a Destiny Church rally against gay marriage and thought, “some of those kids will be gay and feeling quite wretched about themselves”. The result is a series of both funny and emotive monologues about growing up gay in South Auckland - from the “undercover brother” desperate to prove he’s straight, to a pious teen trying to “pray the gay away”, an island mama whose beloved son turns out to be queer, and a staunch Samoan gay man who’s out, proud and in your face. Director Roy Ward remains at the helm, while Shimpal Lelisi and Haanz Fa'avae-Jackson make up the new two-man cast. The play has been a hit in Auckland, Wellington, Melbourne, Brisbane and Edinburgh. It will be on stage at The Famous Spiegeltent as part of the Taranaki International Arts Festival on Tuesday 18 August and Wednesday 19 August. Tickets here It will then be part of Christchurch Arts Festival, showing at The Arts Centre on Tuesday 1 and Wednesday 2 September. Tickets here
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Tuesday, 11th August 2015 - 9:12am