It’s several decades since drag performer Dave Lynn first met then amateur actor Allan Cardew at Marilyn’s club behind Brighton station.
Since then, they’ve shared the stage in many a gay-themed play and Allan has gone on to be a director and producer – most recently of the alternative panto.
And so, they’ll reunite onstage next week (October 8) at a rehearsed reading of Andrew Kay’s new play John and Thomas.
Both have a long history of working with the late Jason Sutton aka Miss Jason – and indeed the play was written for him and Dave Lynn to perform. So there’ll be poignant moments and floods of memories.
Proceeds from the reading on the Palace Pier as part of PierFest, will help create an annual LGBTQ+ playwriting competition in Jason’s name.
But back to Dave and Allan. I caught up with them recently and talked about their times together onstage. Their first play together was Boys In The Band, which also featured Maisie Trollette, and it raised money – as did many of their shows – for Brighton Cares. It was 1992 and at the Pavilion Theatre.
Dave told me he’d done some theatre work before that at acting school before turning to drag. The play was famously revived in 2015 with drag performers. Following Dave’s appearance on Coronation Street, it was back to the stage with Allan in Bent at Brighton Little Theatre, and so over the years it’s gone on – Torch Song Trilogy, My Night With Reg and Entertaining Mr Sloane being notable examples.
“We did lots, but everyone enjoyed it,” Dave told me. He and Allan played brother and sister in Sloane, with Dave in the part made famous by Beryl Reid.
And it’s clear they’re full of admiration for each other. Allan told me: “Dave is such a wonderful actor to work with; he gives so much.” Dave replies: “I’ve learned so much from Allan.” They’re both looking forward to John and Thomas but it’s an event tinged with sadness because of the passing of their friend Jason. A previous Kay play Morning Glory was written for Jason but when it was revived he was indisposed and Allan stepped in at the last moment, shedding his director’s hat to play the solo role.
Now he’s standing in for Jason again: “I feel really privileged to be doing it,” he said. John and Thomas features two drag performers in a double act, which one has retired from, but which the other wants to resurrect.
There’s a strong hope that it will be fully staged in the near future, but in the meantime, there’ll be many a fond memory of Jason rekindled next week.
Tickets are still available at wegottickets and look out for my review in Scene magazine.