Gentle, filled with emotion and highly engaging, Sanctuary explores a young man’s life at the heart of the AIDS epidemic through his reminiscences with a supportive stranger.
Jacob Sparrow’s debut play is truly beautifully written, filled as it is with nostalgia, warmth and melancholy. Set in the home of Wendy – an ally at a time when there were too few – who has dreams of converting her barn into an AIDS hospice in the early 1990s. Michael has been living there, hoping for a longer life than his many friends who have already succumbed to the virus, fighting for his health and a sense of community while his world is ever-shrinking. When an unknown older man arrives, an uneasy but somehow familiar relationship develops between the two, who find they have more in common than Michael could have imagined.
Matthew Tennyson gives an outstanding performance as Michael: nuanced, captivating and full of sincerity. Richard Cant is endearing as the stranger, and full of a child-like energy that brings light to some of the darker moments. The relationship between the two initially feels awkward, but as the play progresses they become more cohesive, leading to some exceptionally touching and tender scenes.
The setting is immediately evocative, and draws strongly on the audience’s knowledge and memory of the AIDS crisis. The barrier to the hospice being established is the objection of the local people, who fear “contamination” from the residents there. It must not be forgotten that this was a time of TV adverts showing tombstones, and only the earliest antiretrovirals starting to emerge. Michael reminds us of this when he speaks of the treatment of his friends and the few moments of compassion they receive.
The use of the stranger to illicit Michael’s story is certainly a device, but it is well used and allows for the narrative to develop and grow. Hearing this young man given voice – who has already experienced so much loss and can see only one outcome ahead of him – is at times intensely moving: yet while there is fear, there is also rage and love and joy.
While emotional, Sanctuary is a surprisingly funny and hopeful play at the same time. The dreams Michael has of acceptance, a “normal” life with a partner, and a world where HIV is not a death sentence are something that could not be imagined at that time, but offers a salient reminder of how far we have come.
By Deborah Klayman
Sanctuary plays at Pleasance Dome, Edinburgh until August 31st 2026.
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