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Queers: Eight Monologues
A young soldier returning from the trenches of the First World War recollects a love that dares not speak its name. Almost one hundred years later, a groom-to-be prepares for his gay wedding.
Queers celebrates a century of evolving social attitudes and political milestones in British gay history, as seen through the eyes of eight individuals.
Poignant and personal, funny, tragic and riotous, these eight monologues for male and female performers cover major events - such as the Wolfenden Report of 1957, the HIV/AIDS crisis, and the debate over the age of consent - through deeply affecting and personal rites-of-passage stories.
Curated by Mark Gatiss, the monologues were commissioned to mark the anniversary of the 1967 Sexual Offences Act, which decriminalised homosexual acts in private between two men over the age of twenty-one. They were broadcast on BBC Four in 2017, directed and produced by Gatiss, and starring Alan Cumming, Rebecca Front, Ian Gelder, Kadiff Kirwan, Russell Tovey, Gemma Whelan, Ben Whishaw and Fionn Whitehead. They were staged at The Old Vic in London.
This volume includes:
The Man on the Platform by Mark Gatiss
The Perfect Gentleman by Jackie Clune
Safest Spot in Town by Keith Jarrett
Missing Alice by Jon Bradfield
I Miss the War by Matthew Baldwin
More Anger by Brian Fillis
A Grand Day Out by Michael Dennis
Something Borrowed by Gareth McLean
109 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 27, 2017
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Note: WorldCat is an excellent resource for finding author information and contents of anthologies.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
October 19, 2022
Even if this is kind of a gay amalgamation of Talking Heads and my buddy Robert Patrick's Untold Decades: Seven Comedies of Gay Romance, it still works beautifully. Usually when you have eight different writers contributing to an omnibus, there is at least one or two lemons - but (to mix my fruit metaphors), there isn't a bad apple in this bunch.
This was also filmed with a starry cast (including Alan Cumming, Ben Whishaw, Russell Tovey) for the BBC, several of which are on YouTube. But I was so enamored of it, I bought the DVD, as it is something I will want to watch many times I suspect.
This was also filmed with a starry cast (including Alan Cumming, Ben Whishaw, Russell Tovey) for the BBC, several of which are on YouTube. But I was so enamored of it, I bought the DVD, as it is something I will want to watch many times I suspect.
February 28, 2022
Eight monologues that intend to celebrate a century-long evolution of gay life and awareness in the social context of England. From the young soldier at the trenches of World War I who remembers having seen Oscar Wilde being taken to prison while on the train platform with his family, and the moment that the writer looks at him, and each one of the two knows they are equals (The Man on the Platform by Mark Gatiss); to 2016 and the marriage of a gay couple in England (Something Borrowed by Gareth McLean).
These monologues do not only center on the male experience, though homosexual activity between men was its main goal, as it had been illegal in the United Kingdom for centuries. In fact, The Perfect Gentleman by Jackie Clune is the experience of a woman who has to pass as a man in order to fulfill her sexual desires with other women. Missing Alice by Jon Bradfield tells the story of a woman who gets married and only after a while comes to know about her husband is a gay man, and yet, moves on with the marriage.
Homosexuality is the expression of human sexuality as much as heterosexuality and bisexuality! And it has a social, biological, even evolutionary reason to be, I am sure of. It is also interesting to notice not only how society but also gay men and women dealt with these issues along with the whole century. Some may criticize the way gay life has been incorporated into society, "normalizing" the gay experience. Some would prefer when everything was illegal, thus, full of risks and more interesting. Yet, one has to wonder if living as a gay person today does equal a "normalization".
Christopher Isherwood, in a letter to Gore Vidal in 1948 wrote: It is quite true that many homosexuals are unhappy; and not merely because of the social pressures under which they live. It is quite true that they are often unfaithful, unstable, unreliable. They are vain and predatory and they chatter. (But then, aren't most humans like that?) But there is another side to the picture, which you (and Proust) don’t show. Homosexual relationships [can be, and] frequently are happy. Men live together for years and make homes and share their lives and their work, just as heterosexuals do. This truth is peculiarly disturbing and shocking even to liberal people, because it cuts across their romantic, tragic notion of the homosexual’s fate. Certainly, under the present social setup, a homosexual relationship is more difficult to maintain than a heterosexual one... but doesn’t that merely make it more of a challenge and therefore, in a sense, more human, worthwhile? The success of such a relationship is revolutionary in the best sense of the word. And, because it demonstrates the power of human affection over fear and prejudice and taboo, it is actually beneficial to society as a whole as all demonstrations of faith and courage must be: they raise our collective morale.
I believe Isherhood's words stand valid up to this very day. It is not about normalization, but about having a fair life, about being able to accomplish a life without fear to express oneself just as one is!
Whoever has an opportunity to watch these monologues by BBC, do so, they are quite interesting to be watched!
These monologues do not only center on the male experience, though homosexual activity between men was its main goal, as it had been illegal in the United Kingdom for centuries. In fact, The Perfect Gentleman by Jackie Clune is the experience of a woman who has to pass as a man in order to fulfill her sexual desires with other women. Missing Alice by Jon Bradfield tells the story of a woman who gets married and only after a while comes to know about her husband is a gay man, and yet, moves on with the marriage.
Homosexuality is the expression of human sexuality as much as heterosexuality and bisexuality! And it has a social, biological, even evolutionary reason to be, I am sure of. It is also interesting to notice not only how society but also gay men and women dealt with these issues along with the whole century. Some may criticize the way gay life has been incorporated into society, "normalizing" the gay experience. Some would prefer when everything was illegal, thus, full of risks and more interesting. Yet, one has to wonder if living as a gay person today does equal a "normalization".
Christopher Isherwood, in a letter to Gore Vidal in 1948 wrote: It is quite true that many homosexuals are unhappy; and not merely because of the social pressures under which they live. It is quite true that they are often unfaithful, unstable, unreliable. They are vain and predatory and they chatter. (But then, aren't most humans like that?) But there is another side to the picture, which you (and Proust) don’t show. Homosexual relationships [can be, and] frequently are happy. Men live together for years and make homes and share their lives and their work, just as heterosexuals do. This truth is peculiarly disturbing and shocking even to liberal people, because it cuts across their romantic, tragic notion of the homosexual’s fate. Certainly, under the present social setup, a homosexual relationship is more difficult to maintain than a heterosexual one... but doesn’t that merely make it more of a challenge and therefore, in a sense, more human, worthwhile? The success of such a relationship is revolutionary in the best sense of the word. And, because it demonstrates the power of human affection over fear and prejudice and taboo, it is actually beneficial to society as a whole as all demonstrations of faith and courage must be: they raise our collective morale.
I believe Isherhood's words stand valid up to this very day. It is not about normalization, but about having a fair life, about being able to accomplish a life without fear to express oneself just as one is!
Whoever has an opportunity to watch these monologues by BBC, do so, they are quite interesting to be watched!
October 21, 2022
Bloomin’ marvellous!
Commissioned by the BBC for the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Sexual Offences Act, and curated by Mark Gatiss, this collection of monologues captures eight varying snapshots of British queer experiences over the 20th and 21st centuries.
I’ve not yet seen the BBC production, but will certainly be seeking it out. I throughly enjoyed all of these pieces, not a single filler in the pack.
Bravo!
Commissioned by the BBC for the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Sexual Offences Act, and curated by Mark Gatiss, this collection of monologues captures eight varying snapshots of British queer experiences over the 20th and 21st centuries.
I’ve not yet seen the BBC production, but will certainly be seeking it out. I throughly enjoyed all of these pieces, not a single filler in the pack.
Bravo!
February 14, 2020
Moving, poignant.
November 24, 2023
I read this for a second time 10 days later… that’s a record but I just loved this so much so yh.
Disclaimer: I ‘read’ this book by watching the monologues produced by the BBC but as they weren’t exactly acted out and more akin to an audiobook I’m counting it.
This collection was freaking amazing and I implore you to read/listen/watch them. There are no duds with each holding its own, they’re a thoroughly enjoyable experience and I just didn’t want them to end one bit.
Queers consists of eight monologues (title, author and individual rating below in the order they were aired) which pinpoint different moments throughout the 20th century regarding changing attitudes and laws towards gay people in Britain. We start with a WW1 soldier speaking of a forbidden love he encountered and end with a man preparing his speech for his very own gay wedding, all taking place in a London pub that’s stood the test of time. In between there’s mentions of the AIDS crisis, 1967 withdrawal of the sexual offends act (the collection, collated and published/aired in 2017, marks the 50th anniversary of this), and discourse on the age of consent among others. Whilst the collection focuses on gay men (because only homosexual acts between men were every criminalised in the UK), there are two stories which place women are the centre; we encounter a woman who puts on the dress and persona of a man to pick up other women and the wife of a gay man whom he does love but you know… not in that way. Each story only lasts about 20 minutes (and the book I believe is less than 100 pages) so we don’t get to know our characters in depth but what we’re presented with is just enough, leaving the reader pining for more. The monologue readers are all complex and for the most part lovable characters who are diverse and give us a glimpse into the many facets of gay life through the century: a solider, a cross-dresser, an actor who can seemingly only play one specific role, a young small-city northerner visiting the capital, an older Polari-speaking queer tailor reminiscing on the days of yesteryear, and a Caribbean man whose faced not only homophobia but racism too in post-WW2 society for example. I did prefer some to others but all received at least a 4.5 ⭐️ rating which I find rare for a collection, each I found relatability in and I could totally emphasise with them.
Overall, this collection was a real gem and one I will totally be coming back to in the future. There’s nothing negative to say only I wished they were longer and for more but as it’s; it’s close to perfect and certainly achieved what it set out to do: explore the gay experience throughout 20th century Britain.
- The Man on the Platform by Mark Gatiss - 4.75 ⭐️
- A Grand Day Out by Michael Dennis - 4.5 ⭐️
- More Anger by Brian Fillis - 5 ⭐️
- Missing Alice by Jon Bradfield - 4.75 ⭐️
- I Miss the War by Matthew Baldwin - 5 ⭐️
- Safest Spot in Town by Keith Jarrett - 4.75 ⭐️
- The Perfect Gentleman by Jackie Clune - 4.5 ⭐️
- Something Borrowed by Gareth McClean - 5 ⭐️
Average - 4.78 ⭐️ but as a I loved the collection as a whole so much I cannot give it anything less than 5 ⭐️ ~ more if I could!
Disclaimer: I ‘read’ this book by watching the monologues produced by the BBC but as they weren’t exactly acted out and more akin to an audiobook I’m counting it.
This collection was freaking amazing and I implore you to read/listen/watch them. There are no duds with each holding its own, they’re a thoroughly enjoyable experience and I just didn’t want them to end one bit.
Queers consists of eight monologues (title, author and individual rating below in the order they were aired) which pinpoint different moments throughout the 20th century regarding changing attitudes and laws towards gay people in Britain. We start with a WW1 soldier speaking of a forbidden love he encountered and end with a man preparing his speech for his very own gay wedding, all taking place in a London pub that’s stood the test of time. In between there’s mentions of the AIDS crisis, 1967 withdrawal of the sexual offends act (the collection, collated and published/aired in 2017, marks the 50th anniversary of this), and discourse on the age of consent among others. Whilst the collection focuses on gay men (because only homosexual acts between men were every criminalised in the UK), there are two stories which place women are the centre; we encounter a woman who puts on the dress and persona of a man to pick up other women and the wife of a gay man whom he does love but you know… not in that way. Each story only lasts about 20 minutes (and the book I believe is less than 100 pages) so we don’t get to know our characters in depth but what we’re presented with is just enough, leaving the reader pining for more. The monologue readers are all complex and for the most part lovable characters who are diverse and give us a glimpse into the many facets of gay life through the century: a solider, a cross-dresser, an actor who can seemingly only play one specific role, a young small-city northerner visiting the capital, an older Polari-speaking queer tailor reminiscing on the days of yesteryear, and a Caribbean man whose faced not only homophobia but racism too in post-WW2 society for example. I did prefer some to others but all received at least a 4.5 ⭐️ rating which I find rare for a collection, each I found relatability in and I could totally emphasise with them.
Overall, this collection was a real gem and one I will totally be coming back to in the future. There’s nothing negative to say only I wished they were longer and for more but as it’s; it’s close to perfect and certainly achieved what it set out to do: explore the gay experience throughout 20th century Britain.
- The Man on the Platform by Mark Gatiss - 4.75 ⭐️
- A Grand Day Out by Michael Dennis - 4.5 ⭐️
- More Anger by Brian Fillis - 5 ⭐️
- Missing Alice by Jon Bradfield - 4.75 ⭐️
- I Miss the War by Matthew Baldwin - 5 ⭐️
- Safest Spot in Town by Keith Jarrett - 4.75 ⭐️
- The Perfect Gentleman by Jackie Clune - 4.5 ⭐️
- Something Borrowed by Gareth McClean - 5 ⭐️
Average - 4.78 ⭐️ but as a I loved the collection as a whole so much I cannot give it anything less than 5 ⭐️ ~ more if I could!
January 23, 2019
I saw most of these monologues when they were broadcast but missed a couple of them so it was good to be able to see what I'd missed.
Spanning the 20th century these 8 monologues highlight societal attitudes and the major changes that have occurred in those attitudes over that time. Each is beautifully written and the first and last stand out above the rest.
My one comment and it's one that Gattis (the curator of these monologues) partially addresses in his introduction is that all of the monologues have a male gay centrism. I feel it might have had a greater impact if it had also included elements of the whole LGBT+ community.
That said these are an amazing collection of vignettes of what it it has been to be gay in the 20th century British context.
Spanning the 20th century these 8 monologues highlight societal attitudes and the major changes that have occurred in those attitudes over that time. Each is beautifully written and the first and last stand out above the rest.
My one comment and it's one that Gattis (the curator of these monologues) partially addresses in his introduction is that all of the monologues have a male gay centrism. I feel it might have had a greater impact if it had also included elements of the whole LGBT+ community.
That said these are an amazing collection of vignettes of what it it has been to be gay in the 20th century British context.
January 4, 2018
a certain liquidity about the eye~
a very informative read to the point where these characters felt like real people telling us their stories. at first I was a little dismayed about the lack of intersectionality on display in this collection but it did offer lots of perspectives on the portrayal of queer masculinity. it also touched on my recent obsession with the danger of a single story and on screen representation which was really nice. also it's a signed edition so ✌️
a very informative read to the point where these characters felt like real people telling us their stories. at first I was a little dismayed about the lack of intersectionality on display in this collection but it did offer lots of perspectives on the portrayal of queer masculinity. it also touched on my recent obsession with the danger of a single story and on screen representation which was really nice. also it's a signed edition so ✌️
August 7, 2017
"It's always the eyes. That's how you know. A glance held just that little bit too long."
July 1, 2021
Queers fue creado para formar parte del ciclo “Gay Britannia” de la BBC, con motivo del 50 aniversario de la Ley de Delitos Sexuales de 1967.
8 monólogos específicamente seleccionados por Mark Gatiss. Muestran los inicios de la lucha por los derechos del colectivo LGBTQ+ y el avance (o no) que ha tenido a lo largo del tiempo. No quiero dar demasiados detalles de cada monólogo, porque creo que eso arruinaría el impacto que podría tener en ustedes como lectores adentrarse en este texto. Sin embargo, intentaré puntualizar brevemente sobre cada monólogo para adentrarlos en ellos.
Gatiss dice en el prólogo que no quiso hacer un compendio de toda la representación británica LGBTQ+ del siglo, sino ejemplificar la experiencia del colectivo a través de determinados sucesos. Nos encontramos con:
• The Man On The Platform: Primera guerra mundial, donde nos encontramos con Perce; nos narra el momento en cual Oscar Wilde es llevado hacia Reading Gaol.
• The Perfect Gentleman: Una historia inspirada en Lillias Irma Valerie Barker, quien vivía su vida “como si fuese un hombre”.
• Safest Spot In Town: La perspectiva de un hombre gay afroamericano en los 20/30.
• Missing Alice: Tras el Wolfenden Report, una mujer casada con un hombre gay tiene miedo que la libertad y la despenalización de la homosexualidad lo aleje de ella.
• I Miss The War: No todos ven la liberalización como algo bueno.
• More Anger: El SIDA y las consecuencias que acarrea en la juventud.
• A Grand Day Out: En 1994, Reino Unido redujo la edad de consentimiento homosexual a 18 años.
• Something Borrowed: Llegamos a la actualidad con un monólogo previo a una unión civil entre dos hombres. Una celebración sobre lo que se ha ganado, y todo lo que se ha perdido en el medio.
Queers vio la luz en 2017 con formato miniserie, dirigida y producida por Mark Gatiss, y los monólogos también fueron representados en The Old Vic, en Londres.
Un libro que me hizo emocionar hasta las lágrimas, que celebra la lucha del colectivo LGBTQIA+ y nos recuerda que aún queda mucho camino por recorrer.
8 monólogos específicamente seleccionados por Mark Gatiss. Muestran los inicios de la lucha por los derechos del colectivo LGBTQ+ y el avance (o no) que ha tenido a lo largo del tiempo. No quiero dar demasiados detalles de cada monólogo, porque creo que eso arruinaría el impacto que podría tener en ustedes como lectores adentrarse en este texto. Sin embargo, intentaré puntualizar brevemente sobre cada monólogo para adentrarlos en ellos.
Gatiss dice en el prólogo que no quiso hacer un compendio de toda la representación británica LGBTQ+ del siglo, sino ejemplificar la experiencia del colectivo a través de determinados sucesos. Nos encontramos con:
• The Man On The Platform: Primera guerra mundial, donde nos encontramos con Perce; nos narra el momento en cual Oscar Wilde es llevado hacia Reading Gaol.
• The Perfect Gentleman: Una historia inspirada en Lillias Irma Valerie Barker, quien vivía su vida “como si fuese un hombre”.
• Safest Spot In Town: La perspectiva de un hombre gay afroamericano en los 20/30.
• Missing Alice: Tras el Wolfenden Report, una mujer casada con un hombre gay tiene miedo que la libertad y la despenalización de la homosexualidad lo aleje de ella.
• I Miss The War: No todos ven la liberalización como algo bueno.
• More Anger: El SIDA y las consecuencias que acarrea en la juventud.
• A Grand Day Out: En 1994, Reino Unido redujo la edad de consentimiento homosexual a 18 años.
• Something Borrowed: Llegamos a la actualidad con un monólogo previo a una unión civil entre dos hombres. Una celebración sobre lo que se ha ganado, y todo lo que se ha perdido en el medio.
Queers vio la luz en 2017 con formato miniserie, dirigida y producida por Mark Gatiss, y los monólogos también fueron representados en The Old Vic, en Londres.
Un libro que me hizo emocionar hasta las lágrimas, que celebra la lucha del colectivo LGBTQIA+ y nos recuerda que aún queda mucho camino por recorrer.
August 28, 2017
I loved this book and it has really encouraged me to start reading more plays. Created as part of the BBC's Gay Britannia month to celebrate the legalisation of male homosexuality, I can't think of a more perfect way to have celebrated a shared history. The only small criticism I have of it, is that I wish there were more female representations within this work, but this is forgivable having read Mark Gatiss's initial premise for the series as a solely male focused project because of the anniversary it marks.
August 6, 2019
A selection of compelling tales about the lives of gay men in the 20th century, and exactly one lesbian. Well written, and as rich in content as seven monologues about gay men (and a single lesbian) can be.
I look forward to a sequel where the history of bisexual and transgender people is acknowledged.
I look forward to a sequel where the history of bisexual and transgender people is acknowledged.
February 6, 2018
I really enjoyed this. I loved the concept. The writing was great. Only problem was I couldn't relate to any of the characters. For me, that is what makes a play, or monologues, special. This didn't. it was a great effort, though
August 18, 2020
this was fine ig
i planned on rating each individual story, but i only really cared for the first and the last one, so like... who cares
TWs for:
sexual assault, r*pe, homophobia, racism, predatory age gap relationships, closeting
i planned on rating each individual story, but i only really cared for the first and the last one, so like... who cares
TWs for:
sexual assault, r*pe, homophobia, racism, predatory age gap relationships, closeting
November 22, 2019
Liked it lots. Laughed out loud several times. One story was chilling with pathos. I agree with another review: the first and last monologues stand out.
December 2, 2021
It was okay! Some stories were definitely more original and interesting than others. I did find it a bit odd that there wasn't more gender parity or a trans story or something. Basically fine.
February 26, 2023
This was excellent. I am gonna go buy myself a copy because I want to read it again and again
April 6, 2024
i loved a few of these in particular but some didn’t really land with me
inspiring !!
inspiring !!
June 1, 2024
Deliciously heartbreaking and joyful you must read this!!
June 23, 2025
this was fantastic, i thought all 8 monologues were absolutely brilliant.
i want to see if they’re available to watch anywhere now.
i want to see if they’re available to watch anywhere now.
September 28, 2020
Strong set of monologues which look at how being queer has changed over the last 100 years moving from a young boy seeing Oscar Wilde go to reading gaol to marriage equality which allowed anybody to marry. Moving, touching and extremely thought provoking this collection is well worth a look.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews