The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me

Les Solomon and Lambert House Enterprises have springboarded many a homegrown talent including David Campbell, Hayden Tee, Tim Draxl and many others. The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me is their latest revival that introduces another pair of highly  talented performers to their long list of alumni.

Although boasting fantastic performances and tight direction, this one-man-play-cum-two-hander is let down by its zesty but somewhat dated script. 

The metaphorical ‘kiss’ in The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me alludes to the moment that the young man at the centre of the piece discovers Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart and his purpose in life reveals itself. First appearing in 1993, the play follows the life and work of the extraordinary actor/writer David Drake, documenting his work with activist group ACT UP in the early 90s. It follows Drake’s growth and purpose, eventually looking toward an optimistic future, not just for himself, but the community at large. 

Exciting performers Ben Hudson and James Wright keep the energy high, the timing swift and the heart present throughout the play, while the direction from Kynan Francis is imaginative and immaculate, focusing the two firecrackers onstage so that each moment is as funny and poignant as anyone can make them. All three of the dynamic team are able to keep the vignettes, of which the play is made up, flowing seamlessly and the transition from one to two hander comes off without a hitch. It is tight, fast-paced and generally really fun. 

So what’s the hang up? For this reviewer, it’s all reflected in the script. Yes, The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me is, historically, an important play. It is one of the few plays written during the AIDS crisis, (of which, there have been many), that came directly from the inside. The writing is honest and zesty so it’s no surprise that it found a very loyal audience when it first caused a sensation off Broadway. Unfortunately, time has not been kind, with many of the themes now feeling dated and, if I may, a bit preachy. It is perhaps good timing in the sense that this production comes off the back of the HBO release of The Normal Heart on Foxtel and I’m not sure if that was deliberate, however Kramer and his work seems to have been lost on the current generation. If we don’t know Kramer, how do we get the references? 

This aside, at just over an hour The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me is a warm, funny,  fast-paced and ultimately a very joyful ride, with two wonderful performers with enough energy to power Dehli for a decade. It’s just not the decade the play was really intended for.