Review of ‘Smoke’: “And true – the vision’s hazy”

The King’s Head Theatre hosted the London premiere of Alexis Gregory’s newest one-man show, dealing with the ominous quest of a middle-aged grieving man after allegedly receiving a message from the dead. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show, to let us know if this gay-themed dark comedy manages to poke enough gags.

Alright, alright – I’ll admit it. I, too, have experienced persecutory delusions when it comes to random texts from ex-boyfriends who died years ago. I mean, who hasn’t? But do I go on a quest to trace back who’s hacking their accounts, spy on them and begin stalking them? Absolutely not. Do I release deep-fake videos in order to ruin their lives and relish on the joys of my sadistic intentions…? Don’t you look pretty today?

Yes, darlings – you’ve guessed right. This is another gay play dealing with a not-too-happy queen seeking revenge. You know what they say: if you piss off the community, we will come after you. And believe me, she does… Alexis Gregory’s latest work, Smoke, is a whirlpool of nerve-wracking paranoia – the kind that, after listening for a few minutes, your instincts would urge you to reply: “can you share some of those drugs?”.

In all fairness, this loony-croony one-man show is sounder than you may imagine. The concept is actually engaging – it establishes a gripping conflict, and brings up a bulge… of opportunities for insightful life observations, as well as a touching emotional journey. The promise is high. And delivery, even higher – but perhaps not precisely in the sense of the word we’re wishing for.

Able to paint pictures with solid prowess, Gregory forms a tangible atmosphere that smoothly transports audiences into his own universe. However, that doesn’t add up to the piece’s narrative efforts – which, though moderately amusing, lack sufficient strength, interest and surprise. As a result, the afterfeeling is that every element in the recount is properly exposed, but not kneaded thoroughly enough to make anything more substantial come to fruition – leading to an experience that, by the time is over, doesn’t feel by any means fulfilling; let alone, memorable… Careful there…

With a conclusion that’s far from giving any shocks, and likely to be predicted half an hour before it happens, Gregory still makes a commendable attempt at keeping the crowd hooked through a remarkably bumpy ride. This, nonetheless, comes as a double-edged sword (I think we can do better than that… and I just did!) – as, despite still holding a firm clutch on his public, it also compromises the truthfulness of the material quite severely. It’s just too overdramatic at some points (and we’re gay, so… you know…). And, apart from giving away what (not who) is going to come next with scandalous openness (I swear I wasn’t looking for that one…), it reduces the verity and connection with the viewer to a rather blurred line on the verge of vanishing.

Bringing a different kind of thrills to the gay scene, Smoke comes up with an appealing idea that, had it been given more thought and preparation, would probably have ended in better terms with its audiences – while potentially building a bond as a strong as the one it tries to depict, but strives to take anywhere beyond the page. With a promising script that nonetheless requires more action and originality, and a performance that boasts charm but craves for more intricacy and magnetism, the pieces to take the play to the next level are all there – it’s now the author’s task to spot and reassemble them in a way they can work in unison. After all, if there’s something that we, in the gay world, are proficient at, that’s sticking things up.

All pictures credit to Tyler Kelly.

By Guillermo Nazara