Man and Boy
Duchess Theatre, London WC1
A Romanian financier facing ruin holes up at the boho Greenwich Village flat of his estranged son, intent on pulling off one last deal. The twist? He plans to pass his son off as gay so he can pimp him to a homosexual business associate. Maria Aitken's revival of Terence Rattigan's last, neglected play is a revelation.
Restoring the gay subtext that was 'erased' when it was first performed in 1963 (allegedly to keep lead actor Charles Boyer happy after Rex Harrison turned it down) turns a fairly ordinary drawing-room farce into something far darker and more intriguing. David Suchet gives a masterful performance as the hateful, reptilian financier Gregor Antonescu, who is prepared to compromise his own macho reputation to save his business.
The scene where he dresses his son up as his gay houseboy - as bait for their guest - is hilarious and painful. The son thinks his father is finally taking an interest in him, but Antonescu is simply pursuing his Machiavellian agenda. There is fine support from David Yelland as Antonescu's oleaginous assistant.
The plot flags towards the end, especially after the white heat of Suchet's 'seduction' scene, but anyone who still regards Rattigan as a middle-class mannerist should see this play.
