This play might be mildly entertaining but lacks authenticity and a sense of reality

Afterglow, a play by S. Asher Gelman, follows the story of three gay men, Alex (Victor Hugo), Josh (Peter McPherson) and Darius (James Nicholson). Alex and Josh are married, and planning to have a baby together. They are also in an open relationship, which has worked up until they meet Darius. Darius is a younger man, and seems to ignite some element of sexual excitement in Alex and Josh’s relationship. The rest of the play follows Josh essentially falling in love with Darius, lying to Alex and crossing their boundaries, which predictably ends up in Josh ruining both relationships with both men, and having a breakdown during the final scene.

The premise of this play definitely has some potential. It is unusual to see polyamory and open relationships, especially queer ones, explored on stage. However I found this particular exploration to be predictable, unrealistic, and devoid of any nuance. Every relationship is different, and there was a chance here to fully engage with the idea of polyamory and to present the audience with a story which combats stereotypes and tropes. Instead, all three characters say nothing new, and we are presented with a script filled with cliches and cringeworthy lines, dialogue which felt empty, as if it was picked out of a daytime soap opera. Some topics however did hold interest such as the financial dimension of their relationships, which I would have liked to have seen explored further; the power of money and its use as a weapon vs as a tool. Sexuality and sex was a big chunk of this play. The characters were often naked, and made use of the rain-like shower centre-stage. The scenes were erotic and fun, however the choreography felt half-baked, lacking commitment from the actors, and felt out of place in the performance space – a black, reflective room with all back furniture which looked a bit tacky and basic at points.

I understand that the experience presented through Afterglow is one which many gay men have lived, and seeing queer joy on stage is great, however as a production and script, this play falls short. Further development is needed to create a captivating and more experimental presentation of love and relationships to catch up to today’s cultural scene.