Written and directed by L.T. Hewitt, Outing opens at the end of a house party where the fatigued host Adam reveals to his friend Jamie that he has broken up with his girlfriend and is now gay. Spurred on by this revelation, and his inebriated state, Jamie returns the confidence by confessing he feels there’s an 80% chance he might be gay too.
A topic worthy of exploration but this play throws no new light on the conversation
From this sitcom-style premise spins an hour of inconsequential dialogue in which Jamie and his girlfriend develop their relationship in a series of vignettes, but fail to explore the doubts Jamie is supposedly experiencing around his sexuality.
The only time these doubts are surfaced is when Adam is back on stage, attacking his friend with a stream of ‘are you sure you’re not gay’ questions which feel entirely inappropriate given they’re based exclusively on the drunken confession of five years prior. The whole thing feels divorced from reality.
Indeed, it also feels incredibly outdated, with little awareness of the new ways people discuss and reflect on sexuality. There is a token throw away line which lists every identity in the LGBTQI+ pantheon as if it’s a tick box exercise, but nuance and insight are absent.
Time is wasted on shuffling boxes around in scene transitions which hold up rather than progress the story, while unnecessary props like tennis balls are distracting and cause jokes to fall flat. The cast of three, led by Joshua Shea as Jamie, are affable and energetic, but for some reason all wear primary colour T-shirts that make them look like members of a children’s pop group.
Outing proves that the plight of gay men stuck in straight relationships, and the consequences to girlfriends and wives, is a topic worthy of exploration. But unfortunately this play throws no new light on the conversation.
