Closer to Heaven

Synopsis

Dave, young, sexy and fresh from Ireland, falls for beautiful, ambitious Shell and streetwise drug dealer Mile End Lee. Billie Tricks, seventies rock icon and now hostess of a glitzy London nightclub, is there when they need to turn to "mother". Meanwhile the outrageous Bob Saunders, pop manager extraordinaire, has his own plans for Dave. As fame and fortune beckon, Dave quickly learns that things aren't always as straightforward as they seem.

Our Review:

1 June 2001

The signs were surely there as far back as the Pet Shop Boys' 1986 debut, Please. Songs such as Later Tonight and Tonight Is Forever clearly yearned to break loose from their pop shackles and soar on a stage of divas and dancers. They've finally made it to the West End (via Dusty and Liza), so with redoubtable gay playwright Jonathan Harvey on board, the scene was surely set for a dramatic walk on the dark side. A La Cage Aux Folles with added bite and zest, for a sensitive and more liberated audience.

Not a bit of it. In fact, if anything, Closer To Heaven puts notions of progressive gay art back in the ghetto of 30 years ago. If the intention was to limit the production's appeal to the W1 brigade, then in that at least it's succeeded. This butch muddle is hardly likely to engage an audience outside of Soho, let alone beyond London's less forgiving perimeters.

From three gay icons, all of whom have made quality work accessible and...

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Latest User Review

USER: Whatsonstage.com - 19 December 2001:

One of the best musicals Ive seen in a long time. Exciting and sad - a full spectrum of emotion crammed into about two hours of energetic singing and dancing. I loved every mintue of it!...

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