REVIEW: OUR 1972 at The Hope Theatre 3 – 6 January 2024

‘one of the more humble and intelligent pieces of queer theatre I’ve seen’★★★ ½

Our 1972 takes us back to the recent past, a London before Pride marches and same sex marriage. In this world, two students meet at LSE, and in the timeless and eternal opposites-attract formula, find their first loves in each other. But this is no ordinary love story: this is set nicely against the backdrop of political unrest in the LGBTQ+ community; it’s the premiership of Edward Heath and his alleged homosexuality, a rising Thatcher is Education Secretary, Stonewall has happened across the pond. And the broader historical context of hindsight makes it all the more potent knowing what’s to come in the following decade.

These politics are playing out in the private lives of Andrew (Josh Maughan), an obviously gay academic guy, fearful and slightly uptight, and Benjamin (Peter Hadfield), a ‘straight-acting’ jock-type, carefree and embracing his newly discovered sexuality. Through these cleverly opposing personalities and counter-weighted character arcs, we witness their different experiences of being gay, how they are perceived by others, and how they feel about themselves. In their lovely romance, the development of the Pride movement is reflected, as they discover their local Gay Liberation Front group, their own politics, and ultimately their own identities.

For such a small space and creative team, the production makes an ambitious use of light, sound and projections, which really add extra depth to the piece, even if their execution is a little abrupt and clunky at times (though not so much as to become distracting). And overall, the story is genuine and mature, while still conveying an often heart-meltingly sweet sincerity and innocence – the new couple’s first nervous trip to a screening of Cabaret in a gay bar is funny and charming, as they clumsily attempt to put make-up on each other and try out poppers.

There is also an especially touching sex scene, which is one of the stand-out moments for me: brave in its emotional intimacy, duration, and hunger, it’s classily done, without being gratuitous or extraneous to the story. Indeed, we’re not talking about something groundbreaking or explicit here, but it keeps a believable and poignant erotic charge, which, in my view, is very, very difficult to achieve, not in the least when you’re so close to such a small audience. So, kudos to the actors and all the production team for this moment.

With its colourfully uplifting final scene, dissolving into a thought-provoking epilogue, this was definitely one of the more humble and intelligent pieces of queer theatre I’ve seen. It avoids stereotype, shock, and cliché; manages to be topical without shoehorning in contemporary issues; and at its heart, is deeply romantic. It’ll certainly bring up some good discussion points over a drink if you’re staying at the pub afterwards. That said, there’s an obscure sparkle that was missing for me that I think comes from its occasional tonal flatness. Nevertheless, the play is engaging from start to finish, with a good pace and structure.

If you weren’t around in this era, then this is a nice little play with a big message, and it’s certainly for you. You’ll realise how very different times can be, even if they’re recent, how courageous these people really were, and just how far we’ve come (and of course still have left to go). But one thing’s for certain: Our 1972 will make you extremely grateful for 2024.

Our 1972 by Josh Maughan

Directed by Joshua Dowden

Produced by Freddie Acaster

The Hope Theatre, 3 – 6 January

Box Office: https://www.thehopetheatre.com/productions/our-1972/

Reviewed by Alix Owen