There was a time, not all that long ago, when you couldn’t open a newspaper or a magazine without laying your eyes on that dreaded acronym AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). Freddy Mercury was dying of it. Tom Hanks was pretending to die of it. And Bruce Springsteen was singing about it. Ah, yes. The good old days.
But then it all started to mysteriously wither away. Stephen Fry made a nice little documentary about it and we were occasionally reminded by the lunchtime news that there were children in Africa dying of the deadly disease, but you’d be forgiven for thinking that we now must live in an AIDS free Britain. Nothing could be further from the truth. With our society becoming increasingly sexualised and pornographic imagery never being easier to obtain, surly now more than ever is the time to have this conversation?
Tonight, here in the city that was once dubbed as "the AIDS capital of Europe", The Infection Monologues relay experiences of living with the disease and living a life confronted by a world that is both condemning and fearful.
The young cast impress in their storytelling roles, going through a range of emotions and taking us on journeys that are coloured in humour, despair and courage.
It did seem to drag in places and, though it was only supposed to be 55 minutes long, it seemed a little over long. Some may be put off by its occasional crude nature and sexual references, but it is truthful, educational and, most of the time, entertaining.
The subject matter may not appeal to those who just want to have an enjoyable evening, but it is not all doom and gloom and it is always nice to see fresh and exciting young talent performing with such passion and intensity. Worth a look.
Show run ended