Toxic at Home Mcr
September 2023
This is the story of how we met, fell in love, and f*cked it up. But it’s not just our story. It’s his, and his and theirs. Maybe it’s yours… Maybe.
Manchester 2016. In the middle of a hot and sweaty queer warehouse party, two damaged hearts collide. He is HIV+ and drowning in shame. They are one microaggression away from a full-on meltdown. Born into Thatcher’s Britain of race riots and rampant homophobia and growing up in the shadow of Aids and Section 28, the pair form a trauma bond so tight, they might just survive it all. But sometimes survival means knowing when to leave.
This beautiful and explosive semi-autobiographical show written by Nathaniel J Hall (First Time, It’s A Sin) and performed by Nathaniel with Josh-Susan Enright blends storytelling (dir. by Scott Le Crass), movement (Plaster Cast), stunning design (Lu Herbert), visual projections (dede././), and an original pumping soundtrack by SHAR.
Pulling back the glittery curtain of pride to reveal a place where many still suffer the devastating impact of generational HIV stigma, racism, homophobia and toxic gender norms, this powerful and passionate play inspired by true events celebrates survival and the resilience of the queer spirit.
Well-known for his community-led creative activism, Nathaniel J Hall has become a powerful voice on HIV and LGBTQ+ issues. But despite the enormous success of First Time and his subsequent casting in hit Channel 4 TV series It’s A Sin, behind closed doors Nathaniel found himself locked in cycles of self-destructive behaviour and co-dependent, even abusive relationships.
Nathaniel comments:
“Telling my HIV story transformed my professional life, but behind closed doors my personal life was in free fall. In 2019, finding myself at the end of another problematic co-dependent and sometimes abusive relationships, and seeing many LGBTQ+ friends in similar situations, I thought to myself, ‘what’s really going on here?’
Published: 20-Sep-2023: (7253)
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