Greg Homann: In Our Skin Fri 10 – Sat 11 June 2022 | Foyle Studio | 7pm | From £9 | 16+
A powerful verbatim-based theatre production shown at MAC this June connects the lives of gay men from two diverse cities across the hemisphere – Birmingham, UK and Johannesburg, South Africa. The performance is presented as part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival.
Celebrated South African born director and playwright, Greg Homann, draws on 50 hours of interviews with 28 participants to create a compelling and often playful new work that captures the energy, resilience, and complexity of what it is like as a gay man living in and around an urban centre today.
In Our Skin integrates the verbatim text with video and original music by Birmingham-based composer, Oliver Farrow. A cast of six actor-musicians tell the wide-ranging stories shared across the two cities.
Greg Homann commented: “In Our Skin started out of a desire to explore how other gay men in Johannesburg experience living in that city. With MAC’s support it has developed into a global project, with creatives, musicians, and cast coming from both cities. I’m thrilled to be premiering this work in Birmingham.”
As sister cities, Johannesburg and Birmingham both thrive and function on the varied racial, religious and economic backgrounds of the people that make these sites their home. The interview transcripts detail a vivid conversation that challenges narrow perceptions of sexuality. They reveal many shared experiences of how society, culture, and religion often limit ones right to live freely.
Greg continued: “The aim is to create a kind of conversation about perceptions of sexuality, and about how these perceptions raise social and cultural tension points.” Book now: macbirmingham.co.uk/event/in-our-skin