Little Black Bastard
Noel Tovey is a national hero in Australia, coming out as an
abandoned and sexually abused Aboriginal child, and rent boy, in
Melbourne, the grim matter of his solo chat show in a severely
truncated one-hour version.
Tovey, now 77, but still handsome, fairly lithe and distinctively
erect, lived in London for thirty years, appearing in ballets and
musicals (he was in Oh! Calcutta! and The
Boy Friend); he also owned a famous art deco gallery in
Fulham.
Boy, what a journey he made, from squalor and deprivation to high camp
and cocktails. Once, he was even raped by the future head of the
Melbourne police force. His mum was a drunk, his father a cocaine
addict.
No wonder he took up dancing and made a debut in Paint Your
Wagon. When the presentational hiccups are sorted, this is
worth seeing, if only to know that there’s always someone worse off
than yourself.
