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A Life in Three Acts, Soho Theatre | reviews, news & interviews

A Life in Three Acts, Soho Theatre

A Life in Three Acts, Soho Theatre

Bette Bourne's unconventional life plus Mark Ravenhill makes for an unusual evening

Bette Bourne and Mark Ravenhill: 'An unusual treat, from an East End childhood, through early gay liberation, Aids and the advent of queer theatre'
You may know the actor, drag artist and gay activist Bette Bourne from his portrayal of Quentin Crisp in the theatre, or perhaps his Lady Bracknell for English Touring Theatre (a role he was surely born to play) but outside the gay/theatrical London loop, he is less well known. That’s a shame because this charming and rather unorthodox piece of theatre shows that his life story - from an East End childhood, through early gay liberation, the scourge of Aids and the advent of queer theatre to present-day stately homo status - deserves a broader audience.
You may know the actor, drag artist and gay activist Bette Bourne from his portrayal of Quentin Crisp in the theatre, or perhaps his Lady Bracknell for English Touring Theatre (a role he was surely born to play) but outside the gay/theatrical London loop, he is less well known. That’s a shame because this charming and rather unorthodox piece of theatre shows that his life story - from an East End childhood, through early gay liberation, the scourge of Aids and the advent of queer theatre to present-day stately homo status - deserves a broader audience.

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Best Nurse in Romeo and Juliet I've seen - played it straight. And I loved Part One of the longer edition when I saw it in Edinburgh last summer. We both left the unutterably dreary early-music-meets puppetry Return of Ulysses that night at the same time (have a photo of Bette all glammed up to prove it). 'I hate fucking puppets' came the exasperated response. Anyway, glad he's back.

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