Normal

The Elemental Theatre Company presents “Normal” written and performed by Tom Stevenson.

In a world where it’s now okay to be gay, with pride marches and celebrations strong within the LGBT community, one gay actor is struggling to come to terms with how to ‘be gay’. This one-man play was created as a response to research on performed sexuality and the social debate of ‘gay parts for gay actors’. Follow the unnamed protagonist in this one-act LGBT comedy as he deals with family, friends, love, sex and work.

The production aims to challenge what many deem ‘the gay voice’ up and down the country, dates currently around February and March 2023; with more venues to be announced soon. Born from the final project of a Masters degree in Theatre at Loughborough University, writer and performer Tom Stevenson comments “You don’t need a degree in drama to understand and enjoy the play”. The 29 year old budding playwright has just embarked on a PhD in the affect of sound in the theatre, “The play is the culmination of scientific and philosophical research into performed sexuality combined with my own experience of ‘what it means to be gay’ interwoven into a narrative structure that is gripping and actually very funny.”

Raising questions like What is to like to be part of this community? How difficult is dating for a same-sex couple? Are there any restrictions for work? And can an understanding family become a barrier to being your true self? The play is currently being developed by the creative team at Elemental Theatre Company, playwright Andy Barrett and has been highlighted as a contender for the Royal Shakespeare Companies ’37 plays’ initiative - a scheme to create a new portfolio of 37 original plays to mark the 400th anniversary of the bard's first published folio.