A Place on Earth was inspired by revelry. When writer Ethan MacDonald was working at a bar on Old Compton Street, he enjoyed seeing a lot of friends on the town, getting drunk, and making each other laugh. Ethan has always loved comedy and began to write about what he was seeing and doing. “Everyone seemed so happy - even when they were upset,” he thought, “since their troubles weren’t world-ending - it was all “does she like me back?” or “oh no, I’ve been speaking to him with my flies undone - he’ll never love me now!” Ethan took this concept and made it into A Place on Earth, a play that follows four friends on a night out to Heaven, a gay night club near Charing Cross.

The play begins, Ethan says, with “Molly and Tina, who are sat around a kitchen table, pre-drinking with Molly’s mum.” Despite Molly having “some big news,” they soon “head off to the club where we’re introduced to Harry and Tom - with Harry being head-over-heels, heart-aflutter, loins-aglow in love with Tom, though Tom doesn’t seem very interested.” Ethan believes the “comedy leaps out of these characters’ attempts to impress and console each other over the course of the night, as they get progressively drunker and higher.”

“It is really focused on how movement, sound and lighting can contribute to the creation of an atmosphere of a night out”

“The characters are all queer, but that’s not really the play’s issue,” Ethan comments, “it just follows young friends being themselves.” It focuses on “the fun, exciting, element of LGBT+ life - there are no laments on love that dare not speak its name, or any coy stealing glances across a quad in the spring time.” Ethan also claims that “the actors fit their characters perfectly, and (best of all) they’re all such good friends which each other.” This meant that “there was no need for them to strain themselves picturing what it would be like as a close group of friends, because they’ve already made it.”

Co-director Bronagh Leneghan also emphasises that they have “really focused on how movement, sound and lighting can contribute to the creation of an atmosphere of a night out within the space of the Corpus Playroom.” She continues that “our wonderful choreographer, Sorcha Kahn, has helped us build on the directions written into the script and how we can interpret these creatively to encapsulate how a group of friends might navigate a night out.”

Bronagh also comments that “although the play is a comedy, there are equally some really important messages about being queer and handling the queer relationships at the heart of the play.” Relatability is, too, at the forefront of the play’s message for Bronagh, expecting that “the audience will be able to relate to these fun and loveable characters; whether that be in the chaos of the night that unfolds, or in the strong bonds of friendship we see between the characters at different stages.” She hopes that “the audience will leave feeling amused and hopeful at this joyful depiction of young queer culture.”

“The audience will leave feeling amused and hopeful at this joyful depiction of young queer culture”

Louella Lucas, who plays Molly, explained that her character “embodies all the values [she] aspires to have in [herself].” Alix Addinall, who plays Gen, also loves her character, describing her as “a cool mum.” “When her daughter, Molly, comes out to her, Gen reveals her own confusing queer past,” says Alix, and, “while she tries to come to terms with her daughter’s sexuality, she faces questions of her own.” Labelling his character as “an emotional whirlwind,” Liam Macmillan, who plays Harry, stated that his character is “pure gay panic in the best way possible.” He believes his character, and the show, emphasises that “life should be enjoyed when you are young!”

Ultimately, Bronagh comments, “the friends are all there for one another at different times in the play.” A Place on Earth is, then, an exploration of friendship, and what they endure. By the end of the play, Bronagh believes, “friendships are made stronger by the love they feel for each other, whether platonic or romantic.”

A Place on Earth by Ethan MacDonald is showing at 9:30pm in the Corpus Playroom from the 17th – 21st May.