David Cummings’s ‘Queer Futures’ takeover at the King’s Head Theatre has resulted in me seeing one of the most outrageously funny shows I will see for a while. ‘Gay Witch Sex Cult’ is a one man show written and starring Andrew Doherty which takes the definition of crazy to a whole new level.
I was greeted into the theatre with a pentagram being stamped on my arm. The significance of this would reveal itself later in the show. A PowerPoint slide displaying Timothée Chalamet’s face was the first thing I noticed upon entering the theatre space. A rotating presentation featuring celebrity icons, ‘GAY’ written in large bold print, amongst many other bizarre comments. Surely you’re beginning to get a sense of how mad this show is. I couldn’t stop chuckling; I remember exclaiming to my friend ‘okay, I’m looking forward to this now!’. The PowerPoint was a performance in itself, not only as some pre-show entertainment, but throughout the piece too. Despite the low quality, seemingly created by a child in the 2000s, it added so much humour.
Whacky, chaotic madness exuberates from this production. The majority of this show I was sat in disbelief, not quite comprehending the lunacy I was watching. At points, the script tempted the edge of going too far, barely holding any restraint. Elements of an overarching storyline were weaved throughout. Although, all the non-sequitur jumping around in storytelling only seemed to make sense as the show concluded. The random off-track thoughts were often confusing, especially when they seemed to bear little relevance.
There was an air of awkwardness portrayed by Doherty. Sometimes it felt like a sweet character trait, and sometimes I found myself cringing. It was unclear whether this was deliberate, and when he seemingly forgot his lines, I found myself questioning whether this was part of the act or not. I can like an awkward atmosphere, but only when it is created on purpose, for effect. Doherty had enough charisma to carry this whole show alone. Keeping the audience engaged with such random and iconic one liners. Also, considering the content warning of ‘jump scares’, I found myself constantly on edge and tense to what would happen next.
‘Gay Witch Sex Cult’ is ridiculous and hilarious. A spooky comedy that is all things weird and strange. A one to experience with a friend, either to laugh along with or to clutch onto. You want proof this is a show to visit? My friend immediately booked again to see it. I’d recommend you do too! Gay Witch Sex Cult runs at King's Head Theatre until the 15th July. For more tickets and information, you can follow the link here.
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AD | gifted tickets in return for an honest review