★★★★
The Switchboard Project is a play enriched in both education and devastation underscored by a dry humour, born from the grit of being a lesbian in the 1980s. The play is based on real callers and highlights the importance of solidarity between those which are othered.
The intimacy of this four-person cast, thrives on the quick-witted writing and palpable lesbian tension. It feels as though the audience are peering through a keyhole into a time so defined by the urgency of the HIV/AIDS crisis. The intimate venue also has an influence on this, as the audience members are practically close enough to pick up the telephones that callers would ring in on.
This choice of venue relays the political intent for the play, with no room for anyone to sink back into their chair, or turn away. Both the government and societal complacency during this time of extreme loss, is underlined in red by just how many callers phoned in to offload their distress.
This was cleverly interwoven with the intersectional issues of sexism within the community. The characters are layered in their performance, which brought these complex issues into the light. Megan Keaveny, playing Joan, has confrontal reactions that are outward and uninhibited, unlike the actor Hannah Balogun, playing Nana. Balogun’s understated character tests the waters because of her personal battles, and represses reactions. This theme of the collective versus the self is an undercurrent ever-present throughout. This subject is brought into sharper focus by the casting; the actors’ personal performances enriches the thematic layers of the play. The talent amongst these actors is high, as they are able to paint a whole world of people, in just a small office space. The spectrum of callers is also portrayed by these actors, from a grown man in Bristol to a 13-year-old boy in Gloucester.
London’s 1980s gay scene is vividly evoked through pop hits like ‘Hanging on the Telephone’, floral vests and bold posters. The play opens at a frantic pace, driven by latecomers, musical interludes, and unexpected callers. Yet, after beginning with such urgency, the momentum gradually fades, leaving the ending to feel abrupt and rough-edged.
The Switchboard Project is rich in insightful stories and archival queer history. It serves as a reminder of a big pivotal time, that fragmented the LGBTQ+ community, and is done through four comical lesbians. Watching as an audience member living 40 years apart from these characters, is revealing as to how influential the AIDS crisis was for queer people. This upholds a successful response of both education and empathy, for those living through that time of political warfare.
The Switchboard Project is running at The Hope Theatre until 20 September.
Words by Louella Venus
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