Poignant amid rising anti-trans hate

Virginia Gay’s queer reimagining of Cyrano at the Park Theatre in London’s Finsbury Park delivers a captivating exploration of a gay awakening that feels especially poignant in today’s climate of rising anti-trans hate.

Theatre-lovers will no doubt be familiar with Cyrano de Bergerac. Written by Edmond Rostand in 1897, the play has inspired numerous adaptations, including 1987’s Roxanne and the 2021 musical film, Cyrano.

The original story follows a man with an unusually large nose, who believes he is too unattractive to win the love of his cousin, Roxane. Instead, Cyrano writes poetic love letters to her on behalf of his handsome but inarticulate friend, Christian. Roxane falls for the words, unknowingly falling for Cyrano’s wit and passion.

In Clare Watson’s gender-flipped retelling of the classic tale, the narrative takes on a modern twist that resonates deeply with the divided times in which we live.

Australian actress, screenwriter and director Virginia Gay steps seamlessly into the role of Cyrano, while Jessica Whitehurst gives a commanding performance as Roxanne (spelt differently from the original) and Joseph Evans takes on the role of Yan (a modern reimagining of Christian), described as “hot, manly” and “dumbstruck around Roxanne,” according to the play’s press release.

The supremely talented Tessa Wong, David Tarkenter and Tanvi Virmani round out the cast, infusing the production with humour and impish energy, even in their ostensibly secondary roles.

Pansexual Gay boldly challenges the gender binary throughout the play. Her queer and female Cyrano is portrayed as just as gallant and brilliant – if not more so – than Rostand’s original character.

Gay’s stage presence is magnetic, drawing the audience in as she delivers lines that resonate on a deeply personal level. At one particularly stirring moment, Cyrano declares: “I am worthy,” a powerful affirmation that lingers in the minds of the audience.

In recent years, protestors have chanted “trans lives matter” in the fight against the rising tide of anti-trans hate in the media and on social media. Government data confirms this trend, revealing “deeply worrying” figures of transphobic hate crimes recorded in the year to March 2024.

Despite Yan embodying everything Cyrano believes she should look like, evoking themes of gender dysphoria and the struggles it entails, she never wavers in her pursuit of love with Roxanne.

Cyrano’s overt trepidation of being rejected by her love interest is highly relatable: we’ve all felt not good enough for someone on whom we doted.

When it comes to a queer love story, this play beautifully conveys that tradition is what we choose to make of it. Outdated norms are cast aside in favour of an uplifting narrative that shatters expectations, celebrating the importance of loving both yourself and whomever you please.

At the press launch, a radiant Gay described the play as “made for us,” referring to the queer community. She couldn’t be more right. This queer love story is, without doubt, a must-see.

Cyrano is playing at the Park Theatre, in Finsbury Park, London, until to 11 January. Tickets can be booked here.

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