One summer, Sam met the sexy silver zaddy of his dreams. But in the midst of the pandemic, the love of his life tragically passed away. Searching for a way to survive his grief, Sam did the only thing he knew: he turned the unbearable into comedy. Done live on stage. In front of thousands of strangers. Some of them straight. All around the globe.
Produced by Alan Cumming, Billy Porter, Edgewood Entertainment and Sally TM, directed by Amrou Al-Kadhi and hot off acclaimed runs in Edinburgh, London and New York – ★★★★★ SUGAR DADDY embraces love and loss and everything in between (cue seagull attacks, New York muggers, unexpected encounters with Jehovah’s Witnesses, and a surprise diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes…).
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| Armou Al-Kadhi |
Director Amrou Al-Kadhi chats about the show in a self-penned piece.
Live performance, especially live queer performance, has never felt more essential to me. As we endure a crumbling democratic and political system, where polarisation is being manufactured by every vestige of power, we are all being encouraged to live online and to operate on fear and division. As Glamrou, live performance has been utterly healing for me – connecting with audiences there, in the room, without apology. For me, live queer performance offers the opportunity for people to come in and allow themselves to FEEL in a world that operates on repression. To laugh at the things they are scared to laugh at; to look at the things they are told not to; to escape the simulation of the outside world.
When I read Sam Morrison’s beautiful script, and watched tapes of his wonderful performances, I knew immediately that I wanted to direct SUGAR DADDY – Sam has that rare ability to make you laugh even though you should be crying, and this show, exploring grief, love, disease, sex, hope and terror, is a complete bevvy of emotions that I think will thrill audiences and give them permission to express whatever they are feeling. Queer spaces are continually under threat, and it feels more essential than ever to offer audiences an opportunity to sit in a room, in front of an exhilarating queer performer and to enjoy themselves with abandon – and to cry if they want to! It’s a scary world out there, and this show is a sacred space of all feelings.
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| Sam Morrison. Photo by Charles Skyes-Bravo |
As a director, and solo performer as well, my excitement in directing this show is to work closely with Sam to give the material space and shape so that audiences are invited in at every turn – live performance is, for me, a generous gift to audiences, and this piece is an act of remarkable generosity from Sam.
As a queer Muslim, I’m so excited to be working with an exceptional queer Jewish performer to articulate his vision – both Sam and I know what it is to live inside intersections, and how identity can be an ever-shifting space of conflict, confusion, harmony and joy. This show, like the performer himself, is an intersectional fever dream of constant surprise, joy and heartache, and I can’t wait for audiences to go on the ride.
Sugar Daddy runs at Underbelly Boulevard in London from 5th March until 4th April. Tickets are available from https://underbellyboulevard.com/tickets/sugar-daddy/
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| Sam Morrison. Photo by Hannah Burnett. |
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