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A NEW comedy from Birmingham Rep is touring the country celebrating friendship, music, and community, with ABBA at the centre.
The Way Old Friends Do is the new production, written by Ian Hallard, who also stars, and directed by his partner Mark Gatiss.
Ian received a WhatsOnStage Best Actor nomination for his appearance in The Boys in the Band, as well as appearing in the National Theatre’s Scenes From An Execution and Great Britain.
James Bradshaw also stars, whose previous credits include Brideshead Revisited and UK stage tours of Breakfast at Tiffany’s and The Hobbit.
The cast is rounded out by Donna Berlin, Sara Crowe, Andrew Horton, and Rose Shalloo, as well as the voices of Miriam Margolyes and the late Paul O’Grady.
The play explores the friendship between two men who met as schoolboys in the late 80s, when they discover who they are, and a chance meeting three decades later, which sparks the first ever Abba tribute band.
The ensuing adventures as a touring act sees platform boots, fake beards, and dragged-up distractions.
James, who portrays Edward, says the play is: “Quite heartfelt and dramatic, exploring friendship, betrayal, being a fan, and being devoted– but there’s also lots of laughs.
“The characters bond together at school over their love of ABBA, at a time when ABBA wasn’t very cool, and then inadvertently meet and decide to put on a tribute act.”
He explains that, naturally, the production features much of the band’s music, which writer Ian Hallard says comes from a “lifelong obsession.”
While for many ABBA has a strong influence on how queer identities are discovered or reconciled, Ian says: “I don’t know why it should be connected to sexuality; it’s a bizarre unknowable thing.
“Bjorn guest-edited on The Today Programme on Radio 4 over Christmas looking at why there is that affinity.
“On the face of it, they’re two straight married couples, so it, when they set it out, was quite heterosexual– and I don’t think he came to any real answer, either.”
James explained: “Russell T Davies said it brilliantly: there are just things you identify with, and if you over-analyze it, it can take away the magic.”
“And it’s not universal,” Ian agreed.
While ABBA’s music plays a part in the show, it’s not a musical: “The music is incidental; the play is more about how the six characters interact.
“It’s not coincidence that the show’s called The Way Old Friends Do, because I was interested in exploring a friendship between two older queer men who aren’t romantically involved.”
James says that while much of how queer communities are represented in media revolves around romantic pursuits, the focus on friendship is just as precious.
“When friendship is threatened, or with elements of betrayal, that can be just as painful, so that established bond between the characters is showing how important that is, and often more than romantic relationships.”
Ian says he “really resisted” the pushing of what he called a more “predictable” route, especially when considering the play is also moving away from a tendency towards “youth-centric” media.
“What’s really important,” he explains, “is that it’s impossible to be all things to all people within the queer community, of course, so I try to resist the more tedious representation.
“I think any minority community is in danger of trying to be all things to all people, because it’s just not real.
“People don’t say ‘why are we doing Hamlet again’– good plays get revived and re-performed because they speak to an audience, make them laugh, or entertain them.
“If it does that, that’s enough; it doesn’t have to be a serious indictment of what society is going through all the time.”
Speaking about their work putting the production together, Ian says: “The day I stop enjoying it is the day I pack it all in and go somewhere else.
“It’s the first time I’ve acted in my own writing on stage, and I’m loving it– in a play about friendship I think any tension behind the scenes would get picked up on by the audience.”
James agreed, saying: “It was the nicest job I’ve ever done, an absolute joy.”
Ian explained: “When we were putting it together, we knew there would be some froth and camp nonsense, and women with big beards.
“But laughing a lot in the rehearsal room doesn’t always translate– happily on this occasion it seems to have.”
The play is directed by Ian’s partner, Mark Gatiss, which he says: “was lovely, especially as we’re both busy people.
“We’d carve out a five or six-week period where we could see each other every day, and often we’d book the dog in too, so the whole family was together.
“Though obviously it didn’t work out too well for ABBA themselves– but if we follow their trajectory then at least we’ll be able to spin it back up in 40 years’ time.”
James says: “It’s like working with a really good mate, if that trust is there and you understand each other it really works.
“And that is so precious in this job, especially when it comes from the top: Mark set such a precedent of a good atmosphere.
“Along with Ian, I felt like I was in very safe hands.”
Ian says: “You do meet actors or directors who think that without a tortured cast, the quality isn’t great.
“I certainly don’t agree; enjoying yourself releases creativity in a way that demon-led anguish and torture is unable to do.”
The Way Old Friends Do is touring around the UK, including dates in London, Guildford, Exeter, Brighton, Cheltenham, Oxford, Salford, Bath, and York.
The production is showing at Park Theatre, London until Saturday, April 15, and at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford, from Monday, April 17, until Saturday, April 22.
Information and access to tickets are available via: www.thewayoldfriendsdo.com
