What do you think?
Rate this book
Cruise
Set in London's Soho in the 1980s, Cruise tells the story of what should have been Michael Spencer's last night on Earth. Diagnosed with HIV in 1984, he's told by doctors that he has just four years to live, so as the clock runs down, Michael decides to go out in style. As he parties and bids final farewells to his friends, the clock strikes zero and Michael… survives. With the gift of life, how can he go on living?
Jack Holden's debut play Cruise is a kaleidoscopic new monologue celebrating queer culture and paying tribute to a
generation of gay men lost to the AIDS crisis. This edition was published to coincide with its West End production in May 2021.
Jack Holden's debut play Cruise is a kaleidoscopic new monologue celebrating queer culture and paying tribute to a
generation of gay men lost to the AIDS crisis. This edition was published to coincide with its West End production in May 2021.
72 pages, Paperback
Published June 8, 2021
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 30, 2022
4.5, rounded up.
I am of the age that really appreciates such efforts as this to explicate what it was like for us queer warriors during the early days of the AIDS epidemic. Holden does an admirable job of capturing the panic, pathos, pain, and also the exuberance of those years in the mid-80's when so many of our friends were dying needlessly, due to govt. inaction and hope was waning.
It seems from the Guardian review that the monologue is even more effective and affecting in performance, with the light and sound effects no doubt adding immeasurably to the experience. It suffers somewhat on the page for the lack of such, but that is often the case with play scripts.
PS The title cleverly plays on both the gay meaning of Cruise and the popular actor with that surname.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GToiT...
https://www.theguardian.com/stage/202...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtUmq...
I am of the age that really appreciates such efforts as this to explicate what it was like for us queer warriors during the early days of the AIDS epidemic. Holden does an admirable job of capturing the panic, pathos, pain, and also the exuberance of those years in the mid-80's when so many of our friends were dying needlessly, due to govt. inaction and hope was waning.
It seems from the Guardian review that the monologue is even more effective and affecting in performance, with the light and sound effects no doubt adding immeasurably to the experience. It suffers somewhat on the page for the lack of such, but that is often the case with play scripts.
PS The title cleverly plays on both the gay meaning of Cruise and the popular actor with that surname.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GToiT...
https://www.theguardian.com/stage/202...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtUmq...
January 7, 2026
La obra de Alex Speitzer me trajo aquí y en cada escena podía imaginarlo.
Que locura de historia, impresionante la escena de Maverick (en verdad podía ver a Alex tirado llorando), que gran mensaje.
Un paso a la vez. 💘
Que locura de historia, impresionante la escena de Maverick (en verdad podía ver a Alex tirado llorando), que gran mensaje.
Un paso a la vez. 💘
April 27, 2025
read this for my english coursework, it was a really insightful look into what life was like in Soho in the 80s and the true loss of so many people.
June 2, 2025
Me encantaría verla representada.
March 21, 2026
4.5, v good
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews