Jake Mace
What happens when the happiest day of your life is at risk of being ruined at every turn? Not So Nice! Theatre Company are looking to answer that question in their upcoming show He’s Not Gay, He’s Just My Brother! which will arrive at Dundee Fringe later this week. Questions of fraternity, queer joy, familial ties and the power of love are all under test in this two-hander starring Will Evans and Michael Tominey.
We caught up with the team behind the show for a pixelated pint ahead of its arrival in Dundee later in the week.
You can catch He’s Not Gay, He’s Just My Brother! on the 18th and 19th September from 20:15 at Sweet @ Keiller Centre. Tickets are available through the Dundee Fringe Box Office.
Jake: Hi gang! Tell us about the journey He’s Not Gay, He’s Just My Brother! has been on so far and why you’re bringing it to Dundee Fringe.
NsN: We had worked with the playwright, Ryan Lithgow, on one of our scratch nights previously and loved his writing so much that we decided to commission him to write a play for our Pride 2024 season. And so, ‘He’s Not Gay, He’s Just My Brother!’ was created. The actors, Will Evans playing the role of ‘Peter’ and Michael Tominey playing the role of ‘Ross’, have been the perfect cast to work with. They have brought endless laughter into the rehearsal room and have perfectly brought the brothers to life. The show was performed in June 2024 at Augustine United Church in Edinburgh. The audience reaction to the show was incredibly positive and Dundee Fringe seemed like the perfect place to bring it back to life.
Jake: So what’s the inspiration behind the story?
NsN: The stimulus we provided to Ryan was ‘Queer Joy’. We found that many plays/films/shows that tackle queerness focus on the hardships and struggles that people within the community have faced throughout history and today. Whilst these conversations are important to have, we wanted to focus on lightness and joy for this project. From this, a play about two brothers emerged. Two brothers who could not be more different. Two brothers who clash and argue. Two brothers who love each other unconditionally. ‘He’s Not Gay, He’s Just My Brother!’ explores the theme of family and poses some interesting questions. If we let ourselves be truly vulnerable and trust our loved ones with our voices and thoughts, will it pull us closer together or push us further apart? And will we regret the things we never said when time has run out?
Jake: So what are you hoping the audience takes away from the show?
NsN: The name of our company ‘Not So Nice!’ originates from the want for our performances to be a catalyst for conversation. We aim to use our productions as a means to educate and inspire. We never wanted our audience to leave stating “that was nice” and not having learned something about the world or themselves in the process.
‘He’s Not Gay, He’s Just My Brother!’ will hopefully leave the audience thinking about the bonds and relationships with the people in their life. The play teaches you that there are more things that combine us than define us, that as humans we have more in common than we have differences and that you should never be afraid to say who you are or how you feel – before it’s too late.
Jake: Now that you’re gearing up for Dundee Fringe, what are you most excited for?
NsN: We are extremely excited to bring the show to a new place and demographic of people in Dundee! We can’t wait to share the amazing work of the playwright, cast and crew. It is a fantastic show with an important message that we want as many people as possible to see.
Jake: Fitting with the themes of our magazine, if your show was an alcoholic beverage (think cocktails, shots, beers, be creative!) what would it be?
NsN: Good old-fashioned Whiskey (might be hard to swallow, burns on the way down but ultimately gives you that warm fuzzy feeling!)
