By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: *****

WHEN?: Monday 26 June, runs through 9 September 2023 RUNTIME: 100 minutes (no interval)

‘The Bible says homosexuality is worse than murder,’ the mother of our hero, Usher, tells him three-quarters of the way through this 2 Tony-winning musical.

• Read on for reasons including how A Strange Loop will have you laughing one moment and shedding a tear another

They confront each other – both passionately singing ‘Hell is real’ – as they realise that although they love each other there is something about the other that they cannot reconcile.

Facebook relationship status ‘It’s complicated’ could have been dreamt up very specifically for this situation.

It’s the story of a Disney theatre usher who is also a black, fat, queer man who is writing a story about a man in a similar situation and its strong language means it’s perhaps not a musical to take your parents to.

The c-bomb is dropped on a number of occasions and favourite quotes of ours include: ‘I hear Scott’s a fag, y’all got that in common and although I don’t condone gay sex, you got that fat student loan’, ‘Undetectable poz-bottom taking loads in the toilets at Lucky Burger’ and ‘Inwood daddy sucking cock all Saturday morning’.

A Strange Loop is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Michael R. Jackson. It opened at the Broadway Lyceum Theatre in April 2022, winning Best New Musical and Best Book at the 2022 Tony Awards.

The story of the artist contemplating writer’s block and subject matter can appear self-indulgent but here Usher is surrounded by an ensemble of 6 Thoughts playing out imagined conversations and events in his mind.

He explores his relationship with his religious parents, not wanting to sell out and to write something authentic.

The audience laughs as Usher describes himself as a bottom with aspirations to be versatile and his doctor prescribes drug Truvada which Usher feels is pressuring him to have more sex at the same time as he is being rejected on gay dating apps during the simultaneously heartbreaking and hilarious Exile In Gayville.

The Thoughts are outstanding and serve as an almost Greek chorus to Usher with Nathan Armarkwei-Laryea (Spring Awakening, Almeida) particularly sassy and former Basement Jaxx singing star Sharlene Hector wowing vocally.

Strongest songs for us were Periodically where Usher and his mother brilliantly played by Tendai Humphrey Sitma explore how her religion and his homosexuality have divided them.

Boundaries is also a beautiful ballad where lead’s Kyle Ramar Freeman’s strong singing and moving acting work particularly well.

Intermission Song boasts the extremely catchy strapline: ‘Big, black and queer ass American Broadway’ while the touching A Sympathetic Ear offers some guidance at just the right time. Musically A Strange Loop has a diverse pallette that’s not afraid to be influenced by classical musical theatre but also draws on rap, funk and gospel.

A Strange Loop is the sort of irreverent look at the life of a plus-sized, black gay man who so rarely features at the centre of a story that will have you laughing one moment and shedding a tear another.

• Main picture by Marc J. Franklin via Facebook courtesy Barbican Tickets
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