Callings, written by Dominic Montaque is a wonderful, heartwarming play about five queer people who manage to discover a community and through that community support for themselves and their journey of discovery about themselves and being gay.
It is set in an era when the government used many tactics to hide our existence. It is also set in Northern Ireland, for England had a Switchboard Service for (LGBT as it was then) or as stated in those days ‘Queers’. The play is set in Belfast, Northern Ireland in the CARA Friend Switchboard Room – (that in itself is a misnomer as we only had 1 or 2 lines and phones) No such things as mobile phones then – chunky big desk phones and outside you had to find a phone box that worked, which was also safe for others listening, and you had to have plenty of change.
In the background, you had the ‘Save Ulster from Sodomy. Campaign, Jeff Dudgeon vs UK Trial etc., and of course ‘the
Troubles’.
Callings brings together tales that reflect on the challenge we faced with being ‘queer’ during this period but also celebrate our history and what has now been accomplished.
I urge you to try and get along to see this wonderful play (Callings) but don’t forget
‘…that’s why learning from history is important. I grew up under Section 26, so I wasn’t taught about LGBTQI+ issues at school…
Owen Jones (Attitude March 2019)
The full Show Schedule is:
Lyric Theatre, Belfast: Wed 2 Oct – Sun 6 Oct;
The MAC Birmingham, 10 – 11 Oct;
Stanley Arts London: 16-17 Oct;
Chats Palace London: 18–19 Oct;
Hawkswell Sligo: 23 Oct;
Market Place Armagh: 24 Oct;
Riverbank Kildare: 25 Oct;
Down Arts Centre: 26 Oct;
Droichead, Drogheda: 2 Nov;
Garage, Monaghan, 3 Nov,
Project Arts Centre, Dublin: 6-9 Nov.
For more information on the production and to get tickets go to www.kabosh.net
To find out more about the services offered by Cara-Friend visit www.cara-friend.org.uk
Links:
- Kabosh play celebrates 50 years of heroic activism by pioneers of gay community – https://thegourmetboys.com/kabosh-callings-cara-friend-50-years/
- ‘Gay people were living in fear’ – play marks 50 years of helpline – https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyvdn2e8vyo
- The play that captures the fallout after Section 28 – https://acomsdave.com/the-play-that-captures-the-fallout-after-section-28/
- Schools play about homophobia attacked by rightwing press – https://acomsdave.com/schools-play-about-homophobia-attacked-by-rightwing-press/
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