> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# REVIEW: ‘Exhibitionists’ at the new King’s Head Theatre, Islington
- URL: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/review-exhibitionists-at-the-new-kings-head-theatre-islington/
- Published: 2024-01-21T12:04:36.000Z
- Updated: 2024-01-21T12:04:36.000Z
- Description: First off, it’s great to welcome a new theatre space in London, with the opening of the King’s Head Theatre, nestling in a shopping centre behind the original iconic pub theatre in Islington: more about it later. Shaun McKenna and Andrew Van Sickle’s play Exhibitionists is billed by the authors in
- Author: Brian Butler
- Tags: Arts, Reviews, Theatre, King’s Head Theatre

First off, it’s great to welcome a new theatre space in London, with the opening of the **King’s Head Theatre**, nestling in a shopping centre behind the original iconic pub theatre in Islington: more about it later.

**Shaun McKenna** and **Andrew Van Sickle**’s play ***Exhibitionists*** is billed by the authors in the programme as a gay comedy of modern manners. It’s no such thing. First, there are no manners in this play – all the characters are violent, angry, damaged and mostly emotionally unattractive.

Second, with its characters running on and off stage through doors, caught with their trousers down, and generally making a mess of life, it is undoubtedly a farce – but not a good one.

We open in a swish San Francisco art gallery, where two couples have been invited to a private viewing, where only two people can be a room at a time. This device is to keep the couples apart from an instant revelation and the end of the plot line.

Conor (**Ashley D Gale**) is a lawyer for Disney; his boyfriend Mal (**Jake Mitchell-Jones**) is a film set runner and aspiring movie-maker. When they vacate one of the gallery’s five rooms, on come Rayyan (**Rolando Montecalvo**), a high-class landscape gardener, and new other half Robbie (**Robert Rees**), architect to the rich and famous..

All you need to know, and I’m telling it quicker than the opening, tortuous scenes depict it, is: Conor used to be with Robbie, before their violent separation seven years earlier.

Conor hits on Robbie and they sort of elope, finding themselves in a Scandinavian motel in the middle of nowhere with – you may have guessed it – Mal and Rayyan in the next room. Apart from a highly sexy Scandi motel owner Sebastian (**Oystein Lode**), who complicates matters, that’s it.

There’s a lot of shouting, everybody punches everybody else and they are made to confess their true feelings by talking to a wooden spoon – and I didn’t make that last bit up.

To give it the benefit of the doubt, there’s probably a quick-fired 60-minute play fighting to get out of its 90-minute straitjacket – I hope the writers find it.

Access footnote: The main theatre space is three floors underground, but it’s good that there’s a lift to save the 50-odd stairs. At the moment it’s quite a bare minimalist look in public areas, but I guess they’ll develop the decor over time. The seats were all separate small metal tip-up ones: very uncomfortable and with virtually no leg room – again maybe they’ll get better seating in time.

***Exhibitionists* runs until February 10\. Tickets** [**HERE**](http://kingsheadtheatre.com/?ref=scenemag.co.uk)