All I See Is You

The Octagon

Until Saturday

IT’S the swinging sixties, the defining decade of the 20th century, the era of free love — as long as it was confined to society’s definition of love.

The Octagon’s 50th anniversary year coincides with the 50th anniversary of the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality.

Poignantly All I See is You by Kathrine Smith, a love story between two men set in Bolton, is one of the winning duologues being performed for the first time to mark the theatre’s landmark anniversary season.

Set in the intimate studio of the Octagon theatre, there is none of the imagery associated with the 60s, no icons, no fashion posters – rather that is replaced with an unforgiving set depicting society’s attitude to gay love ironically in the era of sexual liberation.

Like many love stories, the two are from vastly different backgrounds, Ralph a student with ambitions to be a teacher and Bobby from a typical northern working class background. But, unlike most love stories, it is not their background which is an issue, it is the nature of their love, which just 50 years could lead to unimaginable consequences, imprisonment and the use of unimaginable treatment to ‘cure’ people of their homosexuality.

Amidst this background of fear, Kathrine has developed two characters with dreams and ambitions who experience the awkwardness and excitement of first love played out with humour and warmth. This soon disappears to be replaced by very real fear and terror.

Outstanding performances are given by Christian Edwards, as Ralph, and Ciaran Griffiths as Bobby, who use the intimacy of the theatre to speak directly to the audience to enable them to feel what they feel, their fear, their desperation — and their love.

Ben Occhipinti directs what is a remarkable piece of work bringing together moments of pure comedy and tenderness to that of real horror, so unimaginably cruel it is hard to believe that society could be so inhumane in a period celebrated for its liberal views.

All I See is You is an incredibly powerful play beautifully told and acted — and fully deserving of the standing ovation it received by the audience.

Saiqa Chaudhari