My Son’s A Queer (But What Can You Do) Review

Reviewed by Bethany Hill at Derby Theatre
Tickets were gifted in return for an honest review.

Rob Madge brings sentimental comfort and utter queer joy in their one person exploration of life, My Son’s A Queer (But What Can You Do?), now on a glittering tour of the UK.

Photo by Mark Senior

Rob Madge is a West-End star with killer vocals and an infectious personality. In this show, they take us back to the year 1996 and reflect on their journey through life using home movies to unlock powerful memories of childhood and growing up as a queer person destined for the stage.

The stage is set as Rob’s childhood living room, fitted with all the 90’s nostalgia you could ask for through the furnishings and VHS tapes. We are invited to relax and enjoy as we watch comical videos of them as a child creating Disney Parades in their living room with mum, dad and their grandparents. Rob tells captivating stories of dressing as Beast when they’d really rather be Belle, reads us school reports documenting their ‘dramatic looks’ and shows us Christmas presents past with such warmth. Through the joyous 70 minutes of the show, they take us through a seven step plan of how to help your child create a Disney parade of their very own! But this is more than just a coming-of-age story of one child’s dreams of stardom; it is a reflection of society and the challenges still faced by the queer community, a hilarious celebration of pride itself and a reminder of the life-changing power of unconditional love.

Throughout the show, Rob performs several original songs to capture moments of their life. From the off, the song Anything is Possible invites us to join them in a world of imagination with Disney-esque lyrics that stir the heart instantly. We also see moments that were difficult in Rob’s life, with the songs Pieces of my Heart and Yellow Dress documenting their struggle with gender identity and the judgement of others including Rob’s teacher, forcing them to ‘pack away’ themselves for a time. We Will Be Loved Anyway is my personal favourite from the show; an anthem praising the power of love be it from family or chosen family. As the lyrics of one song teach us, anything is possible when your family sing your tune. What this show does so effortlessly is move fluidly from laughter to tears in a constant revolve like life itself.

Photo by Mark Senior

Playing for a Derby crowd, it was so joyous to see Rob on Midlands home turf. Little reference to local theatres like the Wolverhampton Grand and Birmingham Hippodrome reminded the audience that whilst they may be a West-End star now, Rob remains a Midlander at heart with the home movie structure of the show creating that nostalgia further. The audience of the show were mad for Madge, with a double standing ovation and cheers and laughs through the entire performance.

I cannot say enough good things about this show, so much so that I am returning for a second visit! My Son’s A Queer is uplifting, it is joyous and it is a must-see for everyone! The show plays at Derby Theatre until Wednesday 24th July before travelling to Edinburgh and Manchester to conclude the tour. Tickets are available from https://derbytheatre.co.uk/event/my-sons-queer/

Warning; this show WILL cause unapologetic joy!

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