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Even in our age of civil partnerships, with homosexuality acceptable in high places, Jerry Herman's farcical musical comedy from the 1980s wrestles alluringly with a dilemma that could induce shudders of gay anxiety today. How do you face meeting the morally intolerant parents of the girl your son (Neil McDermott's Jean-Michel) wants to marry? For while you are discreetly gay yourself, you bear the burden of an effeminate drag queen of a lover, Douglas Hodge's Albin, who has perfected a song-and-dance act at the night club you own.
Obviously you insist Albin will not show his painted face, lurid wigs or any other embarrassing bits of himself at this difficult encounter. Such a stand, however, reckons without the drag queen scorned, who stages his ingenious revenge by appearing disguised as Jean-Michel's mother.
© Associated Newspapers Ltd.
