Gay London Life | Oct '24 Edition - Magazine - Page 16
He Ate and Left No
Crumbs…
Inspired by consensual cannibalism,
Ivo de Jager’s play isn’t for the faint-hearted
A night out at the theatre is very often a celebration of feel-good stories
and relentless cheeriness, perhaps with a few musical numbers chucked
in for good measure.
Sweetmeat is very much the opposite of this. Written by Ivo de Jager,
it’s inspired by the real-life early-noughties incident in which a German
computer repair technician put out an advert online seeking a volunteer he
could murder and eat, which was duly answered by someone willing to play
the part. See, we told you — Mamma Mia, this ain’t.
Sweetmeat follows the story of Sigmund and the sadistic desires he’s
harboured since childhood. After his fiancee breaks off their engagement
and he loses his flat, he moves in with Christian, an eccentric librarian with a
painful past. Their relationship blossoms from companionship to love, and
then onto something dark and terrifying.
Using direct quotes from internet forums and put together by a queermajority team, the play will take a deep dive into the world of dark fantasies
and ask questions about gay mental health and the need to be desired.
“I was obsessed with the Meiwes case when I discovered it as a lonely
gay teenager,” says de Jager. “Although the crime was shocking, I could
relate to the desire for constant companionship and understanding that
was symbolised by the act of consensual cannibalism. As I aged and
became terminally online, I saw similar sentiments reflected not just in
other queer people, but in the art I consumed. Sweetmeat is my attempt
at reconciling these disparate but connected interests, influences, and
concerns in an empathetic and bold way.”
Possibly not for everyone then, but an interesting one for those
fascinated by all things dark and depraved.
Tuesday 5th to Saturday 23rd November, Old Red Lion Theatre,
418 St John Street, EC1V 4NJ
Nearest Station: Angel, buy tickets at oldredliontheatre.co.uk
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