by Joe DiPietro
Directed by Phil Willmott
Designed by Alistair Turner
Lighting by Hansjorg Schmidt
Presented by The Steam Industry in association with Neil McPherson for the Finborough Theatre

Cast in order of appearance
John, the Escort – Shai Metuki
Steve, the Soldier – Nick Keith
Marco, the Graduate Student – Chris Polick
Kyle, the College Kid – James Kristian
Leo, the Married Guy – Timothy Lone
Jack, the other Married Guy – Morgan James
Ryan, the Porn Star – Adam Unze
Sammy, the Playwright – Scott Capuro
Brandon, the Actor – Guy Fearon
Donald, the Journalist – Patrick Poletti

The world premiere of a new play with Perrier Award winner Scott Capurro

14 May - 7 June 2008

Having dissected heterosexual relationships in his international hit show I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, award winning writer Joe DiPietro at last turns his attention to homosexual coupling in his free-wheeling, contemporary take on Schnitzler's La Ronde. Set in today’s America, this insightful drama looks at a succession of couples and strangers as they negotiate the before and after of lust, love and betrayal and the pursuit of gay sex. Some stories are poignant, some hilarious, but collectively they provide a fascinating snap shot of the American male in pursuit of man-on-man action. A fearless dissection and shameless celebration of homosexuality that will fascinate male and female audiences of every persuasion.

Playwright Joe DiPietro wrote the book and lyrics to the musical comedy hit I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, the longest running musical revue in off-Broadway history, with productions staged in over 150 cities around the world. He wrote the book to the "new" Gershwin musical Heaven On Earth, a new adaptation of Rodgers and Hart's Babes in Arms, a new adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Allegro, and the book for All Shook Up, a new musical which opened on Broadway in 2005, and the book and lyrics to the recent off-Broadway musical The Thing About Men. Joe is the recipient of the William Inge Theater Festival New Voices In American Theater Award, and has won the O'Neill National Playwright's Conference MacArthur Award for comic writing.

Director Phil Willmott returns to the Finborough Theatre following his acclaimed productions of Loyalties, The Lower Depths and Trelawny of the ‘Wells’. In 2006, he was awarded a Peter Brook Empty Space award for his productions of Euripides, Brecht, Sophocles and Shaw at The Scoop open-air amphitheatre on the South Bank. Other recent productions include Billy Liar and Much Ado About Nothing at Liverpool Playhouse, A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Dubai, The London Nativity and the tenth anniversary year of Fame at the Aldwych Theatre.

The cast includes stand up comic, actor, playwright and author Scott Capurro who won the Perrier Award for his first one-person show, Risk Gay, at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Scott has performed comedy internationally and has also appeared in several films including Star Wars - The Phantom Menace and Mrs. Doubtfire.
Guy Fearon’s stage credits include Shop at Sly Corner, Small Family Business, The Weir, Double Indemnity, Man and Superman, Arsenic and Old Lace,The Queen of Spades, Funny Money, Hay Fever, The Importance of Being Earnest and Voyage Around my Father (all for The Pitlochry Festival Theatre) and Bedlam Boys (Southampton Nuffield Theatre). Television includes Roger Bannon in Neighbours. Morgan James’ stage credits include Women Beware Women (Royal Shakespeare Company), 1.60.3600 (Regents Park) and The Passion Plays (The Old Vic). Nicholas Keith’s credits include The Bill (Talkback Thames), One Story (Sky TV) and Casualty and Amazing Luck Stories (both for the BBC). James Kristian’s stage credits include A View from the Bridge (Bolton Octagon) and Hobson’s Choice (Young Vic). Television includes Allen in As If (Carnival Films/Channel 4). Timothy Lone’s stage credits include Kiss Night, Melting Pot, Lunch on the Go and The Challenger (Fluxx) and Unique, Shifti (Warwick Art Centre). Shai Metuki has just graduated from LAMDA. Chris Polick’s stage credits include The Tempest (Sheffield Crucible). Television includes Silent Witness (BBC) and 20 Things to do Before You’re 30 (Tiger Aspect). Patrick Poletti’s stage credits include Baby Doll (National Theatre and West End), On Golden Pond (Keswick), A Few Good Men (West End), Broken Glass (Newbury Watermill Theatre), Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me (National Tour), A View from the Bridge (Harrogate and Coventry Belgrade), Earth and Sky (Nuffield Theatre and Tour) and Seed of the Bauhinia (Bristol Old Vic). Adam Unze’s theatre credits include Vernon God Little (Young Vic), Dramatic Blend (Drill Hall), All in the Timing (Bridewell), Makeshift and Seagulls in the Cherry Tree (both Soho Theatre).

Press Acclaim for Phil Willmott’s productions at the Finborough Theatre
“Phil Willmott's excellent revival” Michael Billington, The Guardian on Loyalties
“Phil Willmott’s graceful and impeccably detailed production” Lucy Powell, Time Out on Loyalties
“Willmott’s production is gripping and pacey” Sam Marlowe, The Times on Loyalties
“Phil Willmott proves why he is one of the most versatile, best and amazingly prolific directors around… “ The Guardian
"It's hard to top a Phil Willmott show" The Daily Mail
“This triumphant revival…a production bursting with theatrical atmosphere” Carole Woddis, What’s on in London onTrelawny
“An exuberant celebration of the irrepressible urge to make theatre” Michael Portillo, The New Statesman on Trelawny
“This is a serious, stimulating and timely revival.” Paul Taylor, The Independent on The Lower Depths
“An accomplished, intelligent staging” Sam Marlowe, The Times on The Lower Depths
“This incisive production” Sarah Hemming, Financial Times on The Lower Depths
“Willmott’s production offers an abundance of pungent detail.” Sam Marlowe, The Times on The Lower Depths

The Press on F***ing Men

**** Four Stars The Times, Gaydarnation.com and Music OmH.com

"Joe Di Pietro’s intimate, revealing and appealing snapshot of the sexual merry-go-round of contemporary gay life. The provocatively titled Fucking Men appropriates the structure of Schnitzler’s La Ronde to create its own circular cruise (in every sense).”
Mark Shenton, The Stage.

“Surprising and profoundly moving.”
Mark Shenton, The Stage.

“Some of its characters are seeking more resonant connections, and intriguingly, in this context, it is the two characters who work in the sex industry - a prostitute and a sometime porn actor - who are looking for it most.”
Mark Shenton, The Stage.

“Di Pietro also lifts the lid on the closet in provocative ways, as well as throwing down the gauntlet on the challenges of maintaining sexual interest in long-term relationships.”
Mark Shenton, The Stage.

“Phil Willmott’s fast, punchy production keeps the sexual tensions between the characters simmering throughout, and teases with occasional displays of bared male flesh but never goes full-frontal."
Mark Shenton, The Stage.

A "terrific ensemble...includes...fresh-faced James Kristian as the college student, Guy Fearon as the closeted actor and Patrick Poletti as a journalist”
Mark Shenton, The Stage.

“Fucking Men succeeds for two main reasons, namely the quality of the writing and the large but uniformly excellent cast.”
Alan Montgomery, gaydar.com.

“Fucking Men is unpredictable, cleverly crafted and wonderfully engaging.”
Alan Montgomery, gaydar.com.

“Scott Capurro, better known as a 'shock' stand-up, is great too - believable, bright and witty. In terms of acting there really isn't a dud note here.”
Alan Montgomery, gaydar.com.

“Fucking Men achieves something that so many plays about sex fail to do - it actually is sexy. DiPietro steers away from anything too graphic, although there is plenty of taut flesh on display. The sex is implied, taking place in the dark or off-stage, leaving it all to the audience's increasingly feverish imagination. Let's just say that I needed a lie down in a darkened room after watching Fucking Men"
Alan Montgomery, gaydar.com.

“You should make a massive effort to see this play - take it from me, you'll be glad that you did. This is the second great show that I have seen at the Finborough in the last few months, so let's hope that there is plenty more where these came from.”
Alan Montgomery, gaydar.com.

“Di Pietro’s unabashed fantasy is consistently funny and occasionally surprising”
Lucy Powell, Time Out

“Phil Willmott’s direction is impressively sleek”
Lucy Powell, Time Out

“The acting is spot on – Chris Polick’s tousled grad student, Scott Capurro’s nervy turn”
Lucy Powell, Time Out

“Brilliantly acted”
Sam Smith, Music OmH

“The Finborough's small stage had been atmospherically decorated, its walls covered with luminous patterns of squares that signified tower block windows or balconies, where encounters might take place.”
Sam Smith, Music OmH