Review: THE NIGHT LARRY KRAMER KISSED ME, Hope Mill Theatre
Photo credit: Oliver Rigby
For LGBTQ+ History Month, Hope Mill Theatre is celebrating with Hive North’s production of The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me. Created and originally performed by David Drake in 1992, the solo show blends spoken word, storytelling and raw emotion to explore what it meant to come of age during the AIDS crisis. It’s funny, fierce, and deeply moving, a reminder of how far we’ve come and the voices that helped get us here.
The unnamed performer (Gabriel Clark) begins by looking back to their childhood, sharing memories of a birthday shaped by a love of musical theatre, a day that also happens to coincide with the Stonewall riots. As he grows, so does his understanding of himself, but it’s not until he encounters Larry Kramer’s autobiographical play The Normal Heart that something truly clicks into place. Each vignette unfolds with wit and warmth before delivering a twist that lands like a sucker punch, steering the story somewhere far more unexpected.
Dick Longdin’s set design is deceptively simple yet strikingly effective. Five triangular, multi-level platforms slot together to create everything from a dance floor to a changing room in the gym. The intimate staging draws us closer to the performer, allowing each setting to come alive vividly in our imagination. The recurring triangle motif feels purposeful rather than decorative.
Echoed and intensified by David Clare’s atmospheric lighting design, the shapes quietly nod to LGBTQ+ identity. Dominating the backdrop is a single inverted pink triangle, once used during the Holocaust to identify and persecute gay men, now reclaimed as a powerful symbol of pride and solidarity. Its presence here feels both poignant and defiant, perfectly underscoring the themes at the heart of the piece. Hannah Bracegirdle’s sound design underpins the piece beautifully, adding texture and atmosphere without ever overwhelming the performance.
Gabriel Clark is utterly captivating from start to finish. Holding the stage alone for 75 minutes without a single dip in energy or focus, he commands the room with remarkable ease. There’s a warmth to his performance that draws you in and makes you feel completely safe even as the material shifts in tone. His seamless transitions into other characters only deepen the impact, showcasing the strength and precision of his storytelling.
During the monologue 12” Single, delivered in rhyme over Madonna’s ‘Vogue’, the piece cleverly weaves in references to the coded language of dating profiles once used to seek sexual partners. It’s playful and sharp, but layered with something more poignant beneath the surface.
Throughout, Clark demonstrates impressive versatility, shifting effortlessly between humour, vulnerability and quiet intensity. Having previously seen him in Jock Night, this performance once again confirms just how compelling and talented he is as a performer.
The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me may have premiered more than 30 years ago, but at a time when LGBTQ+ rights feel increasingly fragile across the globe, it resonates with renewed urgency. This is theatre that looks back in order to move forward, honouring the past while holding onto hope for the future. At times, the piece leans into abstraction, intentionally leaving space for audiences to interpret and carry away their own meanings. Yet it never loses its political edge. Clark meets the challenge head-on, rising to the demands of the material with conviction and clarity. In doing so, he ensures that this revival feels not only reflective, but fiercely relevant.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Jordan Potts