Canary by Jonathan Harvey

Canary is currently playing at the New Theatre in Newtown and is part of the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras.  I know some of you haven't moved on since 1962 and won't go but please just because it is part of the Festival don't let that stop you seeing a very funny and highly entertaining play.

This is an Australian Premiere of the play which is set in England. It spans from 1962 to the modern day. It follows the lives of two boys and one family.  The two boys fall in love (Billy and Tom) but the relationship falls apart as Tom marries and Billy is arrested for his homosexual affair with Tom and is sent for 'medical treatment'.  The play illustrates the difficulties of being gay in the 60's and 70's and dealing with AIDS. The play has some extremely funny moments like the revolt against Mary Whitehouse's Festival of Light and the scene with Margaret Thatcher! But on the other side there were some very dark and tense moments, so you do find yourself on an emotional roller-coaster.
It is a very complex play in the way that Jonathan weaves from one era to the next and back again and just to confuse the audience even more throws in totally surreal scenes with the mother of the family visiting herself in the past and her dead son, I did think these were a little unnecessary,  marry this with the fact that each actor played between one and six characters I would recommend a clear head before you go in to see this!
Canary is on the whole thoroughly enjoyable, though a little sad as you realise that in some respects we have moved forward but in others, little has changed in the last 40 years.