F***ing Men extends run at the King's Head

Preview by Lizzie Guilfoyle
F***ING Men, Joe DiPietro’s serio-comic contemporary adaptation of Arthur Schnitzler’s La Ronde has extended its run at the King’s Head Theatre until September 26, 2015.
Previously Posted: Casting has been announced for F***ing Men, Joe DiPietro’s serio-comic contemporary adaptation of Arthur Schnitzler’s La Ronde, which returns to the King’s Head Theatre from August 5 to August 30, 2015.
The line up includes Chris Wills (as The Escort), Harper James (The Soldier), Ruben Jones (The Graduate Student), Euan Brockie (The Student), Jonathan McGarrity (The Married Guy), Richard De Lisle (The Other Married Guy), Haydn Whiteside (The Porn Star), Darren Bransford (The Playwright), Johnathon Neal (The Actor) and Richard Stemp (The Journalist).
Previously Posted: F***ing Men, Joe DiPietro’s serio-comic contemporary adaptation of Arthur Schnitzler’s La Ronde, is returning to the King’s Head Theatre. Set within the gay subculture of a big city, it runs from August 5 to August 30, 2015.
The play is a moving portrayal of hunger and desire as it follows the erotic encounters of ten men in their interconnected search for sexual satisfaction. Each scene in the play is a frank, candid and sometimes brutally honest depiction of the lustful transaction between two men.
It is a loose adaptation of the 19th century play La Ronde in which pairings of characters are featured in scenes preceding and succeeding sexual encounters. It’s a structure that lends itself to strong characterizations and dramatic irony.
F***ing Men premiered at the Finborough Theatre before transferring to the King’s Head, where it played for nine months (the longest ever Off West End run of a play). It then transferred to the West End – to the Arts Theatre, where DiPietro is enjoying a current revival with a new production of his musical I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change.
La Ronde is no stranger to controversy, having been originally banned until 30 years after being written for its depiction of sexuality, as well as to adaptation and interpretation, with modern versions including David Hare’s The Blue Room and Michael John LaChiusa’s musical Hello Again.
Director Geoffrey Hyland, who directed the South African premiere of The Blue Room, returns to the King’s Head following his smash-hit Between, which toured internationally before playing at the King’s Head in August last year and January this year.
Artistic director of the King’s Head, Adam Spreadbury-Maher, says:
“F***ing Men is an incredible, important part of the history of LGBTQ theatre, especially at the King’s Head. It represents what we stand for – taking smaller, less commercial productions and giving them a longer life. F***ing Men in particular asks many important questions, covering the fine detail as well as the big picture when it comes to LGBTQ issues – while also being a lot of fun! The piece also does an excellent job of appealing to a wide range of people, despite focusing on gay subculture, using the celebrated and oft repeated model of La Ronde.”
Times: 7pm, plus 3pm matinees at weekends.
For more information or to book tickets, visit kingsheadtheatre.ticketsolve.com/.