The Heterosexuals
Reviewed by Brian Morton
The vibe of this show is manic, high energy, and Queer!
Veteran Fringe Festival performer Johnnie McNamara Walker brings his latest show, "The Heterosexuals", to the Hamilton Fringe Festival this year, following a three-year tour that has taken the show to the Edmonton Fringe, the Orlando Fringe, and many other venues across North America.
McNamara Walker is a high-energy performer, and he has created a wonderful device by suggesting that everyone in the audience is part of a secret cabal of queer people. We can finally drop the pretense that we aren't into gay sex, and can finally enjoy the wonderful and wild world of the LGBTQ+ two spirit community!
The closest influence, in my mind anyway, to what McNamara Walker is doing on stage recalls some of the characters created by Tim Minchin. Not quite so much musical theatre, perhaps, because Johnnie never got good at playing the guitar, but definitely that high-energy manic performance where he literally bounces off the stage walls. It is impossible not to be compelled by McNamara Walker's presence and charisma.
As I was taught in my high school English class, one of the best ways to show difference is the old contrast and compare trope. If you have ever attended a PRIDE parade, a huge part of the movement is about claiming space; it was originally a protest movement, standing up for the rights of what was a marginalized community; in some places, sadly, it still is, Iran, Hungary, and Russia immediately come to mind.
The small-minded people who have been committing these horrible actions are, of course are "The Heterosexuals"; the default setting, or so we are indoctrinated from childhood. As children growing up and figuring out our place in the world, what do you do when you realize that you are not what society expects you to be? The answer is, of course, to rebel and find your own path. And that's ultimately what this play is about.
"Please try not to kill us", Johnnie pleads with the audience... Amen to that!
This is really, a truly impressive performance; there is detail, depth and nuance to the show, and I have no hesitation whatsoever in recommending that you should check it out, no matter what your sexual orientation is.
Turnabout is fair play, as they say.
Event Details
Age Suitability: Parental Guidance (ages 13+)
Genre: Theatre—Comedy, Storytelling/Solo Show
Run Time: 60 mins
Venue: Mills Hardware
Writer / Performer
Johnnie McNamara Walker
Warnings
Sexual Content, Coarse Language