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# PREVIEW: Queer cowboys, a Grindr musical, Eurovision and Miss Hope Springs
- URL: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/preview-queer-cowboys-a-grindr-musical-eurovision-and-miss-hope-springs/
- Published: 2023-04-17T11:00:26.000Z
- Updated: 2023-04-17T10:18:57.000Z
- Description: You wait forever for one show about queer cowboys, and then along come two. Not only that, there’s a musical about Grindr, the return of everybody’s favourite Jamie, and more of the faded star that never was Miss Hope Springs.
- Author: Brian Butler
- Tags: Previews, Brighton Theatre Royal, grindr, Ironworks Studios, Ivano Turco, Joe Dipietro, King’s Head Theatre, Miss Hope Springs, RSC, Tim McArthur, Ty Jeffries, Union Theatre, Waterloo East Theatre

You wait forever for one show about queer cowboys, and then along come two. Not only that, there’s a musical about Grindr, the return of everybody’s favourite ***Jamie***, and more of the faded star that never was **Miss Hope Springs**.

**Mike Faist** and **Lucas Hedges** make their West End debuts in the world premiere stage adaptation of **Annie Proulx**’s ***Brokeback Mountain*** – a new play at **Soho Place** in London running from May 19 to August 12 written by **Ashley Robinson**, with songs by **Dan Gillespie Sells** performed by **Eddie Reader** (ex-**Fairground Attraction**). Gillespie is best known for his songs for *Everybody’s Talking About Jamie*. Mike Faist starred in *Dear Evan Hansen* on Broadway and in the latest film version of *West Side Story*. **Lucas Hedges** was Oscar nominated for his role in *Manchester by the Sea*.

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/0000_00_bm_sohoplace_1920x1080-1-e1681726444590.jpg)

It’s Wyoming, 1963, where people live in rural poverty and in tight insular communities. When Ernie and Jack take jobs on the isolated Brokeback Mountain they find an irresistible and hidden love spanning 20 years and with tragic consequences. **Tickets [HERE](http://www.sohoplace.org/?ref=scenemag.co.uk)**

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/4_-landscape-e1681726404821.png)

The next season at London’s **King’s Head** is guest curated by **Tom Ratcliffe** and runs **April 19** to **May 14**, under the banner ***A Queer Interrogation***. **Barry McStay**’s ***Breeding*** is a moving drama about two gay parents adopting a child. Playing alongside it is ***That’s Ace***, a story about asexuality and the difference between platonic and romantic love. The play ***Rapture*** uses verbatim recordings to explore polyamory and queer identities and ***Rotting Hart*** explores the history of homophobia in Spain. ***Self-Tape*** is a narrative that oscillates between a jobbing actor and his online sex shows for clients.

***Tangerines*** looks at what would happen if **Princess Charlotte** was gay and ***God Save The Kink*** is a cabaret about BDSM and fetishes. Finally drag queen **Rosacea Blemish** brings us ***Will It Actually Ever Happen?*** – a camp murder mystery set in a drag contest. **Tickets for the season [HERE](http://kingsheadtheatre.com/?ref=scenemag.co.uk)**

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/grindr-the-opera-jpg-e1681726503664.webp)

The award-winning ***Grindr: The Opera*** returns for a new production at the **Union Theatre**, London from **May 25** to **July 8**. It has musical styles ranging from Baroque to pop, and it has book, music and lyrics by **Erik Ransom**. It’s a daring, humorous look at the changing landscape of gay relationships and that great catalyst, the dating app Grindr. Its MD is the highly talented **Aaron Clingham**. Originally staged at **Above The Stag**, its original cast recording is on iTunes, Amazon Music and Apple Music. **Tickets [HERE](http://uniontheatre.biz/?ref=scenemag.co.uk)**

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/brightonbannerbig-e1681726316250.png)

**Eurovision** comes to Brighton again – in a manner of speaking. Join your hosts the hilarious **Katie** and **Demetrius** as they introduce hit songs from past Eurovision contests live on stage. ***Eurovision (Your Decision)*** lets the audience vote each night for their favourite song. Written and directed by the multi-talented **Tim McArthur**, and staged by Above The Stag, it’s at the **Ironworks Studios** on **May 10** and **May 11**. **Tickets [HERE](http://ironworks-studios.co.uk/?ref=scenemag.co.uk)**

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web-600-5-37.jpg)

Hope Springs

Singer/songwriter **Ty Jeffries** brings us his fabulous failure of a cabaret star **Miss Hope Springs** for another outing. She’s at **Wiltons Music Hall**, London on **May 19** and **May 20** and at the **Crazy Coqs**, London, on **April 28** and **June 22**. You’ll be sorry you missed it – and so will she. **Info [HERE](http://misshopesprings.com/?ref=scenemag.co.uk)**

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/screenshot-2023-04-17-at-11-01-46-e1681726241735.png)

*Cowbois*

If *Brokeback* didn’t satiate you, the **Royal Shakespeare Company** is the venue for **Cowbois**, from **October 14** to **November 18** at the **Swan Theatre**, Stratford -upon-Avon. Written by **Charlie Josephine**, it proclaims: “No more petticoats, no more men!”. In a sleepy Wild West town the women drift through their days like tumbleweed. Their husbands, swept up in the gold rush, have been gone for almost a year. Then handsome bandit Jack Cannon swaggers into town hiding from bounty hunters.

Armed with whisky and a wink, and a gun by their side, Jack inspires a gender revolution. This rollicking queer cowboy story is like nothing you’ve ever seen. **Tickets [HERE](http://rsc.org.uk/?ref=scenemag.co.uk)**

The inspiring musical about the 16-year-old schoolboy who would be a drag queen, ***Everybody’s Talking About Jamie***, returns to the **Theatre Royal**, Brighton from **October 31** to **November 11**. This time it stars **Ivano Turco**, **Rebecca McKinnie**, **Shobna Gulati** and **John Partridge** as Hugo/Loco Chanelle. I can vouch that Turco wowed audiences in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s short-lived but highly enjoyable *Cinderella*, and he’s also the winner of the Black British Theatre Award for Best Male Actor in a Musical. **Tickets [HERE](http://atgtickets.com/?ref=scenemag.co.uk)**

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/fmen-2-photo-by-darren-bell-e1681724156801.jpg)

*F\*\*king Men*

And finally the cast has been announced for the provocative queer sex odyssey ***F\*\*king Men***, which runs **April 20** to **June 18** at **Waterloo East Theatre** in London. Based on the classic play *La Ronde*, Tony award-winning **Joe DiPietro** gives us a queer take on this provocation story of sex, love and connection.

It stars **Alex Britt** (*Dumbledore Is So Gay*), **Charlie Condou** (*Rocky Horror Show* on tour, and Marcus in *Coronation Street*), **Derek Mitchell** (from TV’s *Ted Lasso*, and half of comedy duo **Horseplay**), and **Stanton Plummer-Cambridge** (TV’s *Black Earth Rising* and *The Durrells*). **Tickets [HERE](http://waterlooeast.co.uk/?ref=scenemag.co.uk)**