Theatre review: Undetectable

Tom Wright's Undetectable opens with a pretty unorthodox gay relationship: Personal trainer and Instagram influencer Lex (Freddie Hogan) has been going out with former client and primary school teacher Bradley (Lewis Brown) for three months but they haven't had sex, or indeed done anything more than kiss, yet. This is on Bradley's instigation that they should try an old-fashioned kind of courtship, and although they've shared a bed they've never even seen each other naked in person (although Lex has sent a few dick pics.) They've not quite got to the point of meeting each other's families yet but the next best thing is Lex introducing Bradley to his friends, after which they decide that tonight's the night to make their relationship physical. Except neither of them has a condom, which leads to an angsty conversation about HIV.

Lex is negative and taking PrEP, so is pretty relaxed about the option of having unprotected sex, but for Bradley this is a deal-breaker; he’s not been as enigmatic as he thinks about the fact that he’s HIV-positive and on medication.

As a result he’s got an undetectable viral load, which is another reason that, when he finally admits it, Lex isn’t that bothered. But Bradley’s diagnosis has fundamentally changed the way he thinks about himself, and getting to the bottom of this is the main task Wright has set himself with the play. And it’s an interesting subject, but one that gets quickly derailed: At first the play balances the funny, dramatic and sexy sides of the story, with the actors convincing about their characters’ attraction and growing fondness for each other, some funny, awkward moments and aFULL-FRONTAL MALE NUDITY ALERT!from both of them*. But Wright seems to lose faith in the subject matter and Undetectable ends up feeling like three plays thrown together.

In an awkward device that sees role-play turn into flashback, we first get background on Bradley that looks into the chemsex scene and how that, presumably, led to him getting infected. Then it’s Lex’s turn, and the play becomes about gay men’s obsession with straight-acting, and how that’s dangerously damaging to more obviously effeminate men. All interesting subjects that could perhaps have been tied in together, but they feel like ideas for separate plays that have all ended up in the same one.

Wright’s reliance on contrivance also marks him out as a fairly inexperienced playwright (the “no foreplay for three months then straight to anal without passing Go” device feels unnecessary) but he’s served very well by Rikki Beadle-Blair’s energetic production that makes the action feel a lot less static than it actually is. Both actors are also really impressive in breathing life to roles that could be better-defined. Wright’s writing displays obvious talent and potential, but in trying to fit enough material for a Big Gay Epic into a single late-night conversation he’s ended up losing confidence in any one strand carrying the play by itself.

Undetectable by Tom Wright is booking until the 6th of April at the King’s Head Theatre.

Running time: 1 hour 15 minutes straight through.

Photo credit: Nick Rutter.

*before anyone asks, the side seating banks are probably the best view, preferably the one stage left