The Gay Train | Yellow Mug Theatre | Edinburgh Fringe

Yellow Mug Theatre Presents "The Gay Train" – Catch this engaging play by Andrew Lake and Ray Stafford with Emma Wilkes. Join the journey!

Aug 14, 17-28 | RSE Theatre | Learn More about Yellow Mug Theatre

June each year sees the celebration of pride month. All companies transform their logos into colourful rainbow as a tribute to allyship with the LGBTQ+ Rights movement. Of course there are always companies which push the boundaries of promotion and June 2020 saw Avanti West Coat launch a special carriage manned by LGBT+ staff proudly boasting the biggest pride flag seen on the side of a train and making a statement about the equality and inclusion. But is this enough?

The Gay Train looks to answer this question opening with a delightful ukulele accompanied dedication to these gestures juxtaposed with satirical observation querying the true dedication of these companies to the cause.

As a first draft this show is definitely a step in the right direction exploring important current issues of gender rights which heavily affect our modern society.

Although it lacks focus, the mass quantity of ideas being thrown at an hour-long production becoming a muddled at time, this piece contains some really moving moments, a mother learning to accept their child, a non-binary young-adult fighting for change and a journalist seeking political engagement. With more workshopping and script development this play could be a great commentary on trans rights, raising awareness through a drive for change.

The Arts Business Top Tips:

• Find a cause you're dedicated to – one thing the vast amount of content thrown into this show clearly demonstrates is the colossal amount of passion that Yellow Mug Theatre has driving their work towards encouraging positive change in the trans community. This seeps out into the performance.

• Using Viral Stories – although I think we can all agree 2020 was a pretty slow year, one thing people do remember is ‘The Gay Train’ making the news. By using this as inspiration for new writing, a piece which could otherwise seep into the background at a busy arts festival, suddenly becomes relatable and appealing, standing out from the crowd.