Hot Gay Time Machine, Trafalgar Studios, London, 3***: William Russell
London
HOT GAY TIME MACHINE
By Zac Ghazi-Torbati, Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss.
3***
Trafalgar Studio 2, 14 Whitehall, London SW1A 2DY to
Mon-Thurs 7.45pm Fri & Sat 7pm & 9.15pm , 31 December 3pm.
Runs 70 mins No interval
TICKETS: 0844 871 7632.
@reviewsgate
@pursuivant
Review: William Russell 4 December.
Gay’s the word
The hit musical Six about the lives of the six wives of Henry V111 is the reason why this earlier show by its creators, Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, has hit the West End. It shares the bouncy tunes and the witty lyrics of that show, but it is a very different kettle of fish. Basically a very smartly performed and staged cabaret act, festival fringe material that delights but never shocks, the show plays to its target audience with skill.
Marlow stars along with the very tall Zak Ghazi-Torbati, who also wrote it. They play two gay guys on a space ship journey through time, an excuse for them to sing songs about being young, coming out, falling in love and having a wonderful time in the brave new sometimes not so gay world of today. Their energy is boundless – the smaller Marlow is so energetic one fears he will explode – and both sing very well indeed. Ghazi-Torbati has a terrific vocal range, while Marlow is adept at the keyboards, and his dancing has to be seen to be believed. Ghazi-Torbati had hurt his back the night I saw it and was being rather constrained as a result, but all the signs were he is as good as Marlow at gyrating his hips.
It is all very loud, and the heavily female audience went into hysterics, screaming louder than the fans at a Tom Jones concert although perhaps for different reasons. An exercise in high camp, it has nothing much new to say about coming out, telling Mummy one is gay, not getting an erection in the changing room at school, first love and all the rest gay guys do that will come as a surprise to anyone. The innate pleasantness, charm and talent of the dynamic duo, however, ensure the evening is a success as does the fact it lasts as long as it deserves.
They also manage to inject a few gags so that it can lay claim to being a Christmas show, while avoiding the obvious one about there being a pair of fairies on top of this particular tree.
Hot Gay Toby: Toby Marlow.
Hot Gay Zac: Zac Ghazi-Torbati.
Director: Lucy Moss.
Lighting Designer: Alistair Lindsay.
Design Consultant: Anna Reid.
Production Photographs: Pam Raith.