Playing suspends time, and for Kit Ford, it prolongs an ending long past acceptance. Narcissistic Reflections on a Queer Childhood runs all week at the Hope Theatre after a previous sell-out run, offering a deeply personal exploration of growing up queer—within a timeline as straight as Queer theatre can hope to be.
In this autobiographical dive into childhood memories, Ford’s one-person show immerses the audience immediately, shattering the fourth wall almost instantly. With an energy crackling with unspoken truths, they unravel experiences steeped in otherness and struggle. Ford fully embraces their unafraid self, narrating their story on their own terms. Despite discomfort or dissonance, there's a relentless drive to document everything in a torrent of words—occasionally bordering on overwhelming. The storytelling is dense, laden with intimate details. This prompts reflection on claims like, “I rarely think about myself at all” and “Queer people never talk about themselves”—both evident falsehoods that enhance the show's humour as more is shared. For instance, Ford gleefully recalls their victory dance after playground games of It.
As the self-proclaimed Lord of the Gays, Ford transitions from a seemingly oblivious child to one internally conflicted. These poignant, relatable moments leave audiences longing for a world more accepting, loving, and attuned to the complexities of childhood sexuality. This is confessional theatre at its finest—anchored in place, time, and lived experience. The stage is adorned with bras, binoculars, a trans flag, and a variety of books, movies, and CDs. Familiar items like Harry Potter, a Wham! record, and Girls Will Be Girls by Emer O’Toole reveal a character who immersed themselves in fiction, role-play, and dressing up—a clear extension of childhood escapism. The use of costumes and props, such as a school flipchart to mark different school phases, is subtle yet highly amusing—especially when Ford channels their inner Julie Andrews, delivering a cringeworthy yet endearing rendition fit for a West End café where servers perform for patrons.
The performance is underscored by familiar tunes interwoven with original reflections, as Ford's nervously boisterous persona emerges like a child who’s had one too many sugary drinks at the school fair. Their physicality is predominantly high-energy, interspersed with moments of quiet introspection. Whether or not one identifies with Ford's experiences, their skill in transforming nostalgia, discomfort, and self-discovery into compelling theatre makes this a must-see.
Ultimately, Ford doesn't merely reflect on their past—they assert space for it, embracing all the accompanying chaos and humor. By the show's conclusion, Ford has the audience on their feet, engaged in a game where the sole rule is to keep up—because, like it or not, you're already part of the performance.
Narcissistic Reflections on a Queer Childhood is a collaborative creation by a talented team, including Writer and Performer Kit Ford, Director Manon Harvey, Associate Directors Aoife Pallister-Begadon and Raffaella Sero, Producer Raffaella Sero, Publicity Designer Matti Griso-Dryer, and Movement Director Sam Smith.
★★★★☆ (4*)
Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography provided by Production Team
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