Thoughtfully researched by historian Marcus Collins, and with special permission from the BBC, Dr Stephen M Hornby’s new play about the making of the BBC’s first documentary on homosexuality is both a excellent theatrical work and an important reflection on queer history.
Based on a historic transcript of a controversial 1950s radio documentary, The BBC’s First Homosexual is a timely reminder that, within living memory, being a gay man was a criminal offence in the UK. Decriminalisation did not come until the 1967 Sexual Offences Act (on the condition that acts were consensual, in private and between two men of at least 21) – Scotland did not follow suit until 1980, and it took a European Court of Human Rights case to extend it to Northern Ireland in 1982. It captures a moment in time, where to be openly gay was to face loss of work and standing as well as ridicule, violence and imprisonment.
This was the backdrop in 1954 when the BBC first started working on this project. Due to a police crackdown there were high profile prosecutions, including actor John Gielgud and Lord Montague of Beaulieu, making it harder to avoid addressing the issue. Despite the relevance, the real and perceived danger in even saying “the word” out loud, let alone on a public broadcast, ensured that the programme was challenging to make and even more difficult to transmit, being shelved for three years then heavily edited before airing.
This piece cleverly melds the archival material with a fictional narrative, anchoring it and giving a human face to the story. Nineteen year old Tom, a young man who works at Burtons the tailor, is slowly awakening to who he is, and discovering the dangers and excitement of exploring those feelings. On hearing about the “scandalous” bars in London, he finds an excuse to visit, risking his freedom as he is drawn to the underground gay scene. He finds sexual partners, discovers closeted men he knows, and falls in love for the first time.
Jolyon Benson gives a touching performance as Tom: initially bright-eyed and naive, but growing through the piece into a man who longs for more and hopes that the world is changing. The impact of the BBC documentary on Tom and others like him is profound, not what it says, but the fact that it acknowledges their existence. Max Lohan is engaging in his many roles, which are often the men Tom falls for, switching effortlessly between sincerity, sensuality and sass. Andrew Pollard wholly embodies the BBC style as one of the executives responsible for the documentary, and displays his versatility throughout, from Tom’s gentle and closeted workmate to the firebrand Mary Whitehouse.
This play highlights an important piece of queer history, entertaining and moving the audience while educating them at the same time. As the US and UK seem to be going through their own modern iteration of the “pink panic”, it is important to look back and recognise how far we have come, but how easily that ground can again be lost.
By Deborah Klayman
The BBC’s First Homosexual plays at Assembly George Square, Edinburgh until August 16th 2026.
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