Boys! Boys! Boys! is a summer season of plays being staged at The King’s Head in Islington. Focusing on masculinity, there are five plays being staged in the season. QX had a quick chat with Mark Farrelly who plays in two of the five one-man shows. As you can imagine, he’s rather busy!
QX: Hi Mark, who are you playing?
Mark Farrelly: I’m playing Quentin Crisp in Quentin Crisp : Naked Hope and Derek Jarman in Jarman.
QX: Introduce us to your characters.
Mark Farrelly: Quentin Crisp is a complete one-off, openly gay as far back as the 1930s, later an Englishman in New York, always utterly himself. Jarman is a painter, writer, gardener, film-maker, proprietor of Prospect Cottage in Dungeness, gay-rights activist, force of nature.
QX: What was your inspiration?
Mark Farrelly: To share Quentin’s empowering message of hope and selfhood and his fabulous wit. My inspiration for Jarman was the audacious beauty of his diaries, when he was dying of AIDS. I wanted to share the hope that can be found in the darkest places. And the fun of the man.
QX: Can you sum up the show in one word?
Mark Farrelly: Hope and courage.
QX: How important was it for this show to be part of Boys! Boys! Boys! Festival?
Mark Farrelly: Hugely! Quentin himself performed at the King’s Head in the 1970s and being part of a festival of creativity is a very Derek Jarman thing to do…
QX: It’s just you on stage in a one-man show – any pre-show rituals?
Mark Farrelly: A prayer. A few OCD adjustments of costume. Then a remembrance of how lucky I am to be doing this. Solo shows are like a bungee jump. You have to let go and trust.
Jarman 2 August – 26 August: Buy tickets to Jarman
Stage images supplied: Jacky B Summerfield
Quentin Crisp : Naked Hope 4 August – 27 August: Buy tickets to Quentin Crisp : Naked Hope
Stage images supplied: Jacky B Summerfield
The Boys! Boys! Boys! season is at The King’s Head Theatre, 115 Upper St, London N1 1QN, 2 August – 10 September 2022
DISCOUNT TICKETS AVAILABLE:
Check out more Boys Boys Boys with our Festival Pass! Just use the discount code FESTIVAL at checkout to get £3 off two shows, £5 off three shows, £6.50 off four shows and £8 off all five shows.
Buy discount tickets to Boys! Boys! Boys!
