Interested in theatre? Then you’re in for a treat as two new plays promising male nudity and scenes of a graphic sexual nature are about to open in London thanks to the Shamelessboyz.

Boys’ Play, by Jack Heifner, is a story about growing up, hero worship and friendship as two teenagers camp in the woods on a night that will change their lives forever. Meanwhile, a chance meeting on the internet erupts into a sexually explosive night of raw lust, passion and guilt in Howard Walters’ Extra Virgin.

We caught up with Gareth Watkins, one of the actors in the Extra Virgin half of this exciting double bill, to find out more about the joys of new writing, nudity, hero worship and his gay utopia.

Boys Plays, a double bill of “new tales of homoerotic hero worship”, opens shortly at the Barons Court Theatre. What can we expect?
Well, we’re in rehearsal at the moment, so it’s early days yet. All I can say is that Extra Virgin, the second of the two plays, begins with a really intimate, private and sexual encounter between two ‘strangers’. Horny.

So, if you had to name names, who would you hero worship?
Carlos Tevez I suppose (even though he just signed for the wrong team - all a bit shady I think), but he’s great to watch, really powerful and tricky. Also, I think I put Stephen Fry on a bit of a pedestal. The guy’s a real English genius; I like his honesty and the fact that he discovered sex after a long period of ignoring it and because he returned to work after his stage fright incident. He’ll be remembered long after his time. I’d also worship a friend from school, but I ain’t lettin’ on about that!

Would that be with our without the homoerotic bit?
I think there’s always something sexual about admiration; as a teenager a lot of my sexual identity and discovery was linked in some way with wanting to belong with someone, or actually be them and at times give them a good old dry hump. You get a nice feeling spending time with that person, which is much more powerful and desirable than sex.

In a way, it comes down to insecurity; rejecting the self in favour of another person. You end up doing stupid things like subconsciously adopting their behaviour and liking the music they like etc. It’s an addiction.

“Personally, I prefer to have sex with a hint of self doubt or regret - gets me going every time.”

What was it about Boys Plays that made you get involved?
Performing new writing is like jumping around in virgin snow. When you do a classic like Shakespeare, it’s tried and tested and it must be good otherwise it wouldn’t have stood the test of time.

Unfortunately, because of some law of averages (or some bloody law or other) most new plays are rubbish either because they haven’t been worked on enough or because those wise guardians, Time and Experience haven’t had a chance to discard the dross yet. So, when a real gem comes along, you have to seize the chance.

A fellow shameless boy (who shall remain shameless) went to see the American version of Extra Virgin in New York. When I saw his face as he came out of the theatre, I knew it had been a good play. After reading it for the first time myself, I remember sitting really still as I was a bit stunned.

Extra Virgin was a hit at the 2005 New York International Fringe Festival. Has it been changed for the UK production?
Yeah. First, we changed all the obvious things like sidewalk and garbage and the names of football teams; then we had to correct the grammar because Americans can’t speak properly. After that, we injected some self depreciative humour otherwise it wouldn’t sound English. We also had to sidestep some of the ‘shrink talk’; too much of the Woody Allens wouldn’t go down too well in Kilburn.

Also, we had to give the characters a social class because it wouldn’t do to let them get through life purely on merit. We’re still looking for an opportunity to have a butler bring in some tea and perhaps a scone or two!

Extra Virgin is about a chance meeting on Gaydar that erupts into a sexually explosive night of raw lust, passion and guilt. So, did you have to do a lot of research online?
Mmm. Graham and I set up Gaydar profiles so that we could define our characters and chat to each other in role online. What we hadn’t bargained for, however, was that other people would see them; we got hundreds of messages from people wanting all sorts of things!

Do guilt and raw lust often go hand in hand?
If you’re Jewish or Catholic, guilt and raw lust are cornerstones of the faith. Personally, I prefer to have sex with a hint of self doubt or regret - gets me going every time.

Extra Virgin is an intriguing title. Can you tell us anything about its meaning?
It’s when something is refined or concentrated I think; usually pertaining to olive oil; not sure, ask someone Greek!

“We are naturally inquisitive and a bit pervy. I got a bit horny walking through a Rodin exhibition once.”

Are you involved at all with the other one act play in Boys Plays?
No, I deliberately haven’t even read the script. I will probably see it when they do their dress run. It’s more enjoyable that way as it’ll be more of a surprise.

So does that mean you get to go to the pub early? 
No. Extra Virgin is the late show, so we’ll be out later and will have to find some seedy joint in Earls Court that’s still open.

The production has a warning message attached: “contains male nudity and scenes of a graphic sexual nature.” So will you be revealing more than your soul?
Yes.

You also shed your clothes for a special Chicago Gay Pride performance of the long running Chicago hit revue Bare Naked Lads in the Great Outdoors, so nudity doesn’t bother you at all then?
It’s about the only time it gets a good airing.

Have you ever been concerned that the guys in the audience will be checking out more that just your acting talent?
It can be a bit distracting initially, but if the meat is more interesting than the play, then I think the actors and director have a lot more work to do. It’s human nature though. We are naturally inquisitive and a bit pervy. I got a bit horny walking through a Rodin exhibition once…

Sex – particularly in gay plays – is often used to get bums on seats. Does that bother you?
Yes, because it usually means the play is rubbish and the sex has been shoved in to boost the box office takings. This can back fire though because if people want to watch sex they can go to, erm, wherever people go to watch sex.

The last thing a theatre goer wants is to have a good play interrupted by a bad shag. The sex in our play is integral to the thesis of the play; there’s no deliberate attempt to shove it in as it were and in the past Shamelessboyz have successfully done plays with no sex at all. People want to see a good play. If they get turned on by it that’s none of my business; it’s a matter for them and their dry cleaner.

This is your third play for Shamelessboyz. What is it about the company that keeps bringing you back for more?
The sex

So, are you a shameless boy?
No, brazen, audacious and corrupt.

You’ve performed with the company in the States and the UK. Do the audiences react different in each country? 
Yeah. American audiences tend to whoop and cheer like they’re on Jerry Springer even before the curtain’s gone up and they laugh at different things than an English audience would. American audiences are usually more honest; one chap told me to grow my hair because he thought my shaved head was not in keeping with my character - fair enough! Whereas an English audience is duty bound to say they enjoyed the play - even if they hated it. It’s nicer like that really. Who needs honesty when you can have politeness?

“The last thing a theatre goer wants is to have a good play interrupted by a bad shag."

What’s your gay utopia like?
I suppose, a world where people didn’t try to define themselves as being ‘other’ or ‘different’, so there would be no gay bars or straight bars, no ghettos with gay this and gay that; and no need to hate anyone because they wouldn’t be separate from each other. People could be chatted up freely and respond with a polite ‘yes please’ or ‘no thank you.’ Lovely.

And finally, what’s next for Gareth Watkins?
Put the kettle on I think. I’ve been sat on my ‘arris for nearly an hour.

Find out more at www.shamelessboyz.com.

Boys Plays: Two New Tales Of Homo-Erotic Hero Worship
Barons Court Theatre
The Curtains Up
28A Comeragh Road
London, W14 9HR
020 8932 4747

17 October-5 November 2006, Tues-Sat at 8pm and Sun at 7pm

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