A Strange Loop

 I am still processing and it’s going to take a while to get my thoughts properly in order but this was an impressive night out at the theatre.  A musical about a queer Black writer writing a musical about a queer Black writer writing a musical … etc.  Layers upon layers of ideas about identity, sex, sexual politics, internalised and external racism and homophobia, family, and religious bigotry integrated into a meta musical about musicals.  

A small cast of ‘Usher’ and his ‘thoughts’ who populate his internal monologue (and play all of the other characters) have a big impact, with fab performances and choreography and big production values as Usher writes and rewrites his musical to try to reflect what it is like being him.  I didn’t get all the references, not being a Black American, queer man or a musicals aficionado but honestly it really didn’t matter at all. 

The title comes from a theory by  Douglas Hofstadter (a prizewinning US scientist) that identity and consciousness is created by a series of internal mirrors reflecting back at themselves, creating a ‘Strange Loop’ and the play is at its heart the story of a man trying to work out who he is of his multitude of conflicting identities, and who he wants to be. Great songs and performances, graphic, gritty and glitzy and heartbreaking too.  

We had a bit of an adventure getting lost in the maze that is the Barbican on the way there and the way back, so we had our own strange loop due to our deficient sense of direction.  But we were rewarded with an upgrade of our tickets to the stalls when we got there.  I was worried that might mean a half empty auditorium (which is never a good way to see a musical) but it was pretty packed with a lovely and appreciative audience and a well deserved full house standing ovation at the end. 

Not a play to take your maiden aunt to (although actually she might enjoy it too) but definitely a must see, even if I am not quite sure what I have seen.