AfterGlow, 3 Stars

Posted on October 31, 2019October 31, 2019

By. lambco
Tag Adult, Play

AfterGlow
Waterloo East Theatre
an on-going production

Afterglow “a steamy stripped-down look at gay intimacy’ (Huffington Post) premiered in the UK at Southwark Playhouse where it was seen by over 8,000 people. In New York, its multiple-extended hit run Off-Broadway, sold 23,000 seats in a 69-seat theatre and grossed over $1million.

Review by Richard Lambert, 3 Stars

Not quite sure what the title of this production is supposed to mean however it could be sub-titled “hot gay men naked in multiple scenes, and we get them wet”

The performance I saw had an audience of exclusively gay men. The on-stage naked shower scenes and several other sex scenes between the 3 actors are delightfully pleasing. Which probably goes a long way to explain why this show has been so popular and commercially successful!

What’s not to like? Ah well, yes, actually the script…..

The story is thin and the script painfully pedestrian, so bad in fact that there were titters around me at some of the corny predictable lines. The cast do the best they can with this, and Peter McPherson does rise above the drole-dom of the script.

Thankfully the scene changes are exciting and punchy with wonderful Sound Design by Joel Price all accentuated with great lighting by David Howe.

Unfortunately there is way too long between the scene changes when the great production quality re-awakens the audience. And way too long between the nude scenes where you could strike a match on their abs!

There is a 60 minute show somewhere in this 90 minute slowly paced melodrama.

Go see it, you’ll love it! The cast are hot and good eye candy. So why not?
Commercially very successful.
And you can get a front row seat for only £30.

This is the Fringe play that will run forever!

Photo Credit: Darren Bell